A Game Of Murder
by bellaa95
Summary: AU Paily where Paige is a nerdy science professor and Emily starts teaching at the same college, leading to a Paily relationship with lots of fluff and smut. But what will happen when their fairytale-like story takes a frightening and even dangerous turn?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is a new story I'm trying out. It's AU and the university/town is made up, but a lot of the characters from the show will be in it. Rated M for sex and language. I don't own Pretty Little Liars. Enjoy!**

Emily Fields was nervous as she made her way through the campus of Westminster University. It was her first day as a professor, and she was worried about making a good first impression on her students. Millions of worries went through her mind as she tried to find her way to the building her office was in. What if the students didn't like her? What if they refused to listen to her because she was so young? Her experience in high school had always been the younger the teacher was, the less the kids listened.

She was twenty-two years old, fresh out of college herself, and was here to teach European literature. English was always something she had loved and she had always known she had wanted to teach it, and really this was her dream job. But she was already flustered as it was, and the fact that she couldn't find the building she was supposed to go to was nearly sending her into a panic.

She pulled out the map of the campus, scanning for Rutherford Hall. She didn't even know where she was. If she just kept walking, maybe she would find it eventually. Luckily she always liked to be early and had left herself plenty of time.

After wandering around a bit longer she finally found what she was looking for. Exhaling in relief she went inside, momentarily stunned by the beauty of the lobby. This place wasn't bad at all. But finding her office proved to be confusing, and she was starting to feel that familiar feeling of panic building inside of her.

She turned suddenly to head back to the lobby to ask for directions, but instead slammed right into someone. She blinked in surprise, stepping back to see a young woman standing in front of her, dressed in a light blue sweater and a pair of black pants. She was a very attractive woman, actually. She had the biggest brown eyes Emily had ever seen and she knew she was no where near through embarrassing herself.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered. The woman smiled.

"It's okay. No worries."

"Um, I'm really sorry to bother you, but do you think you could help me find my office? It's room 140."

"Of course," the woman replied kindly. "The numbering in here is pretty confusing. I actually teach in the science building across from here, so it took me a while to find my way. First day?"

"Yeah," she replied, blushing. So much for not being helpless. "I'm teaching literature."

"Oh, nice. Always liked the classics."

"What do you teach?" she asked, finding herself unable to stop staring at the beautiful woman beside her.

"Microbiology," she replied, grinning at the surprised look on Emily's face. "I have a research lab here."

"Wow. That's impressive," Emily told her.

"I'm Paige, by the way," the woman started as they stopped outside of Emily's office. "Paige McCullers."

"Emily Fields," she replied. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime. Good luck on your first day, okay? Maybe I'll see you around."

Emily nodded, watching as Paige gave her a small wave and disappeared around the corner. Yeah, she was definitely going to like it here.

Her first day got considerably better after meeting Paige. She had two classes, and she felt like she didn't come across overly awkward in either one of them. She was feeling very confident when left to go back to the apartment she shared with her friend, Hanna, and as she drove home she kept thinking about Paige.

Hanna was draped on the couch when she got home, still dressed in her scrubs from her morning shift, waiting to hear about Emily's first day. Emily had barely walked through the door before Hanna was showering her with questions.

"How did it go? Were you awkward? Did kids laugh at you? Do you like it? Did you meet anyone cool?"

"Hanna, slow down," Emily chuckled. "It went a lot better than I expected."

"You didn't stutter, did you?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head at her roommate. "I got a little lost at first and this woman named Paige helped me-."

"Woman!" Hanna exclaimed. "Was she hot?"

"Hanna!"

"You promised all the details!"

"Beautiful is the word I would use to describe her," Emily replied, thinking back to Paige's perfect face. "I may have a teenager's crush."

"Oooh!" Hanna squealed, clapping her hands together.

"I doubt she's gay."

"That's the spirit," Hanna replied sarcastically. "There's only one way to find out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Caleb?" Paige called as she closed the door to her apartment. Her roommate was never there when she got home; it was a running joke the two of them had. He worked completely unpredictable hours as a resident at the St. Grace Hospital nearby, and sometimes she could go days without seeing him. Their living arrangement worked despite the fact that she would never be interested in him sexually, and he was very respectful of that. He was a good friend and she was glad she had taken his offer to move out of her ex's apartment when she had.

"Boo," he replied, poking his head out of the doorway, and she jumped.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"My shift starts in two hours. I'll probably be there until the morning. How was your first day?"

"Same old," she replied, eager to get to the interesting part. "But I met this new literature professor-."

"Uh oh," Caleb replied, looking amused. "Stay away from her. She's probably stuffy."

"You're just bitter from your own literature class," she replied, folding his arms. He laughed.

"Okay. What's she like?"

"I didn't get to talk to her much but I'm hoping to see her again tomorrow. I helped her find her office."

"How cute on a scale of one to ten?" he asked, grinning as she blushed.

"Ten. One hundred percent. She's got these soft brown eyes and long raven colored hair. And I-."

"Okay. Go take a cold shower," he joked. Paige scowled at him.

"Just let me daydream about her, okay? I doubt she's gay."

"You never know," he replied.

"Of course I do," she sighed. "Someone too good to be true like that is someone I can never have. Only assholes like Shana are actually in my reach."

"You and Shana dated for three years."

"I know how long it was," she snapped, Shana's betrayal still fresh in her mind. She would rather never hear her name mentioned again, although she knew it was unrealistic. But she knew she really shouldn't take it out on Caleb. He had been there for her through it all, and for that she was grateful.

"All I'm saying is don't write her off as uninterested yet. You never know."

Paige shrugged. She hoped he was right, and she had every intention of looking for her again tomorrow. Maybe there was that slim chance that she was interested.

"Well, I'm gonna go change and head out to meet Mona for a beer. She wants to celebrate the start to a new year."

Caleb snorted.

"Just don't start dating her. What could a microbiologist and a chemist have in common anyway?"

"Don't worry," Paige replied as she started down the hall. "She wouldn't set foot in this apartment as long as you're here."

She changed into more comfortable clothes and texted Mona to let her know she was leaving. Caleb never did like her much, although she wasn't sure why. Mona had been a good friend to her during her messy breakup with Shana, and they always had a fun time together. She knew Caleb's worst fear was her becoming romantically involved with her, which she didn't plan on at all. Especially if the new Emily Fields was a possibility.

She was greeted with a bear hug as soon as she got to the bar, Mona seemingly already a little buzzed. Paige chuckled as they made their way to get drinks, Mona tripping twice over nothing. Her friend was such a light weight.

"This is going to be a great year," she announced, waving the bartender over. "So many bright new faces…. I love the start of a new semester."

"I prefer once things are settled," Paige replied. Mona shook her head.

"You're so uptight, Paige!"

"I am not," she protested, but deep down she knew maybe Mona was right.

"We need to get you out more often."

"I like my quiet time at home, too."

"Yeah, but we need to find you another girl."

"Hmm," she replied, her thoughts drifting back to Emily.

"Hanna!" Mona exclaimed suddenly, jumping off of her stool. Paige watched as she ran into the arms of a blonde, her mouth dropping open when she saw the woman standing next to them. Emily.

"Is that her?" she heard the blonde ask loudly, looking in Paige's direction. Paige felt herself blush as they all turned to look at her and Emily elbowed her friend hard in the side. "Ow!"

"Come sit with us," Mona offered, and Paige felt her heart start to pound as they all came over to where she was sitting. She wasn't sure if it was from nerves or desire. Maybe both. "Paige, this is Hanna. I think you've met her once or twice."

"Yes. Hi, Hanna," she replied, pretty sure that this was the most sober she had seen Mona's friend.

"And this is her friend, Emily."

"We met," Emily blurted, her cheeks immediately darkening. "Uh, I mean, we work together."

"You teach at Westminster?" Mona exclaimed. "No way!"

"Yeah," she replied shyly, looking at Paige. "Literature."

"Oooh," Mona gasped. "Like, Chaucer and shit?"

"You could say that," Emily replied, grinning at Paige. Paige smiled back, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"Well, this round is on us, then," Mona continued. "Right, Paige?"

"Of course," Paige agreed, unable to take her eyes off Emily. Was there any possible way that she was interested, or was it just wishful thinking?

"She's totally hot," Hanna hissed loudly on the other side of Emily. Paige nearly choked on her drink but pretended like she didn't hear.

"Hanna! Shut up!"

Were they talking about her? Was Emily into her. No. She wasn't getting her hopes up. She got stuck with liars and cheaters, not beautiful, humble and shy women. She didn't have that kind of luck.

"How did everything go?" Paige asked, hoping she didn't make a total ass of herself.

"Pretty good," Emily replied. "Once I found my way. Thank you again. I should be buying you the drink."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Happy to help."

"So….. you must be pretty smart, having a research lab," Emily started, batting her eyelashes. Paige gulped.

"Uh…. not really," she replied, and Mona kicked her. "Ouch! Mona!"

"I was never very good at science," Emily continued. "English was always more my thing. Do you get to wear a lab coat?"

"Yes," Paige replied quickly, hoping that would impress her. Emily smiled.

"I like lab coats," she replied softly, taking a sip of her drink. Paige wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming.

She felt high by the time Hanna and Emily left. She didn't like to get her hopes up, but Emily had definitely been flirting with her. And she couldn't wait to see her tomorrow.

"Okay. She totally wanted to bang you," Mona declared when she and Paige were left alone at the bar.

"What?" Paige replied, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend like you don't know."

"I'm not getting my hopes up," she replied calmly. But inside she couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited.

**A/N 2: I have a pretty good idea of where I want this to go, and I promise things will get more suspenseful. If this is something you guys would be interested in reading, I would definitely like to continue it. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

The next day Paige only had labs, which were always easy at the start of a semester. All she had to do was explain basic rules and then let the students play around with prepared slides for the rest of the class. More than her new classes she was excited about meeting up with Emily after her morning lab. She had casually told Emily she would stop by her office after her class to say hi, but she was going to ask her if she wanted to get lunch with her. Emily had been forward and courageous yesterday, so she wanted to do the same. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about her, and she had admitted to herself that she really wanted her. There was no sense in denying it.

She watched as the students from yesterday's morning lecture filed into the lab, taking seats next to friends. She cleared her throat as the last kid had taken their seat, drawing their attention.

"Welcome to microbiology lab," she started. "This class can be fun if you let it. Despite what people may have said, I'm not that difficult, and if you follow the rules and do what you're supposed to you won't have a problem. Questions before we get started?"

No one replied. She noticed a blonde at the end seat, texting.

"Rule number one," she started, walking towards the girl. "No cell phones. We're working with bacteria, and although it's nothing like tuberculosis, it will contaminate anything you take out." The girl kept texting. Paige stood right behind her, her arms folded. "Telling your friends you have the dyke professor, huh?"

"What the hell?" the girl snapped, whirling around. "That's private!"

"Not when I tell you no phones. Put it away."

"Whatever."

"Alison DiLaurentis, is it?" she asked sweetly. If this girl wanted to be nasty, she could play, too. "I'm going to ask you again to put the phone away. And if you take it out again I'll have to disinfect it."

"You're crazy," Alison replied. Paige chuckled.

"Glad you think so."

"You're such a bitch, Alison," a young male cut in.

"Darren, right?" Paige asked. He nodded. "I here you're quite the science student."

He blushed. Alison rolled her eyes.

"Now, if you're all ready, we can start going over the guidelines."

* * *

><p>Emily sat anxiously in her office after her morning class, waiting for Paige. She hoped she would really come by and she hasn't just been saying that to appease her. She had been looking forward to it all day.<p>

She was living the university so far. Between how well her classes were going and Paige, she was happier than she had been in a long time.

"Hi."

She looked up, a smile crossing her face when she saw Paige standing in the doorway.

"Hey. Come in."

"How'd your second day go?" she asked, awkwardly leaning against the wall. Emily thought she looked unbelievably sexy, with her button up blouse and glasses. She was even wearing a lab coat.

"Good," she replied, trying to stay calm. "Do you have any more classes?"

"I have another lab this afternoon. I was going to get lunch and I, uh, was wondering if you would want to go with me."

"Yes," Emily blurted, cringing when she realized how eager she sounded. But the thrilled look on Paige's face made it all worth it.

"Cool. There's this place around the corner that has the best subs. Like, everything you can imagine."

"That sounds perfect," Emily agreed. "I'm starving."

They went around the corner to the deli and ordered their subs, taking a table in the back. Emily wanted to ask if it was a date, but she didn't want to make Paige uncomfortable. Based on how nervous Paige was though it certainly seemed like it might be.

"So, how do you like it here?" Paige asked, trying to sound casual.

"I love it. Everyone here has been so great," Emily replied, not missing the way Paige blushed. "Thank you for taking me here."

"Of course," she replied. "Uh... I was wondering if you had plans for tonight."

"No."

"Would you, uh... I mean if you don't want to that's fine, but... I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie with me," she finally blurted.

"I would love to," Emily replied, and Paige sighed with relief.

"Cool. I can pick you up, if you want."

"I'd like that," Emily told her, bursting with excitement. Paige was asking her on a date.

"Uh... okay. I'll give you my phone number and you can give me yours."

Emily grinned as she watched Paige write her phone number. Hanna was going to be almost as thrilled as she was.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Emily asked.

"Sure."

"How are you so... how did you get this job so fast?"

"I graduated high school early and undergrad school too," Paige replied. "I liked to move fast with school. I love this job."

"I bet you're good at it, too."

"Oh," Paige replied, her cheeks pink. "I'm okay."

"That's not what your friend had to say yesterday."

"Oh. She gets gushy when she's drunk," Paige told her dismissively. "Do you like the classic movies, then? I thought maybe you would like to see Pride and Prejudice, since they just rereleased it."

"Love them," Emily replied softly. "And I love all Jane Austen." Paige smiled.

"Perfect."

* * *

><p>"No," Hanna replied firmly as Emily came out of her room to show the outfit she was planning on wearing. She frowned at her roommate, looking down at the light pink dress she was wearing.<p>

"What's wrong with it?"

"You look like a dork. You want her to not be able to keep her hands off you."

"Hanna, I'm not looking for a hookup. I really like her and I want this to be more than sex."

"Hmm," Hanna replied, looking her up and down.

"We had a great time at lunch, Han. We talked a lot and she's really smart and funny. And so, so sweet. I want to go slow."

"Sure," Hanna snorted. "I give you two weeks, tops."

Emily rolled her eyes. Hanna could be such a pain sometimes.

"Anyway," she continued impatiently. "I want to look nice. Not like a lady of the evening."

"Your choice," Hanna replied. "But you need to put on heels."

Emily sighed loudly and went back to her room. She knew Hanna was right in a way, but she also wanted to get to know Paige a little more before sleeping with her. Not that she didn't want to. She had already lost track of the fantasizing she had done about the other woman already, and she had known her two days. Two days. It seemed ridiculous, like she and Paige had been friends forever. This definitely felt different from any relationship she had ever had, even when she had dated Maya for three years.

"Slow down," she muttered to herself in the mirror, applying another coat of lip gloss. Against her better judgment she took Hanna's advice and grabbed a pair of small white heels from her closet before heading back out for her roommate's seal of approval.

Paige came to get her right on time, awkwardly stepping inside and looking around. She looked incredibly attractive and Emily couldn't help but stare.

"You look nice," she offered, vaguely aware that Paige was looking at her with a slightly open mouth.

"Uh," she replied. "I mean, thanks. You…. you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Emily replied shyly. "Hanna! I'm leaving."

"Have fun, you two," she told them brightly, poking her head into the living room. She winked and Emily groaned, hustling Paige outside before Hanna could embarrass her too much.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight," Emily told her later on as they settled in their seats. Paige smiled, looking far more relaxed than she had at lunch.

"Of course. Thank you for coming with me."

"So," Emily started, leaning back in her seat. "You seem like you don't mind the classics yourself."

"I do love reading when I have the time," Paige replied. "Jane Austen is probably my favorite."

"I love to hear that," Emily chuckled. "My ex hated Jane Austen and really every classic ever written."

"Love them," Paige replied. "If it weren't for all the essays I might have considered an English major. But I always loved science, too."

"Science nerd, huh?" she asked, and Paige chuckled.

"Yeah. I was never shoved into any lockers, though."

Emily laughed at that. Paige smiled, and at that moment she found it nearly impossible not to lean over and kiss her.

"Were you in the science club?"

"God, no! I have some dignity," she declared, pleased when Emily laughed again. "No, I was harassed for being the "dyke" on the softball team."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Emily replied. She had never been called that before, and she doubted it was nice to hear. Paige shrugged.

"I'm over it," she replied, turning to face the screen as the movie started. She didn't sound over it.

As they watched the movie Emily kept thinking about kissing Paige, and she wondered if she was thinking the same thing. She glanced at her a couple times and more than once caught her looking. She decided to be brave and go for it. What was the worst that could happen?

Just as she was gathering her courage, Paige tapped her shoulder. Emily turned to look at her and was surprised by Paige leaning in and kissing her, her lips soft and gentle. Emily's hand came up to cup Paige's face as they kissed, not even caring that people might think they were a couple of horny teenagers. This was just as perfect as she had been anticipating, and saying Paige was a good kisser would be an understatement. And the more they made out, the movie long forgotten, the more desperate she was for Paige to touch her more intimately. Hanna was right. Again.

Somehow she managed to let Paige drive her home after the movie without giving in. She was really liking what they had and didn't want to take that next step too quickly. She was hoping Paige felt the same way.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Paige told her softly as they stood outside Emily's apartment.

"I did, too," Emily agreed, leaning in to kiss her again. "I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," Paige replied. "I'll call you."

Emily watched as she walked away, her heart bursting with excitement. She had forgotten what entering a new relationship felt like, and she and Paige had such a genuine connection. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what, but something was telling her that she had found someone really special.

* * *

><p>The apartment was dark when Paige got home, and there was a note from Caleb saying that he was working at the hospital. She had been hoping to talk to him about her date with Emily, and she briefly debated calling Mona before deciding to just get ready for bed. Mona was probably out with Noel anyway, and she was pretty tried. And sexually frustrated. If she was honest, she probably wouldn't even be able to fall asleep for that reason.<p>

She sighed, heading to her room for a shower. Caleb was right when he had teasingly told her she needed to get laid. She really did, since she hadn't had sex since she and Shana had broken up in May. She had tried to tell herself she didn't have the time, between teaching classes and working in the lab, but really she had just been too hurt to let herself be that vulnerable for another person again. But Emily was making her rethink all of that.

Sure enough, she was lying in bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling as she thought of her date. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time, even when she was dating Shana. Her confrontation with Alison during lab earlier that day seemed like a distant memory, too. Because all she could think about was Emily.

Before she could really think about what she was doing, her hand was inside her pajama pants, rubbing at her clit. She closed her eyes, a small moan escaping as she fantasized that it was Emily touching her like that. She felt slightly guilty, but decided there was no harm in just thinking about it. She couldn't believe how aroused she was already, rubbing faster as the pleasure began to overtake her. She missed feeling so aroused by someone, so light. Emily. She was all Paige could see as she neared the edge, clutching onto the sheets as her orgasm finally took her over. She brought herself down, tired and satisfied as she removed her hand from her pajama bottoms. It didn't take long before she fell sound asleep.

**A/N 2: So, let me know what you think and if you're enjoying the story. I have a pretty good idea of where I want this to go, and hopefully you guys will like it. Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

Their relationship continued to blossom over the next two weeks, and they spent as much time as they could together. That particular morning they were meeting up for coffee before heading to the campus for the day, with plans for dinner later on. It was chilly for a September morning but felt pleasantly like fall as they walked towards Rutherford Hall with their coffee.

"I can't wait for the colder weather," Emily remarked, sipping her coffee.

"Oh?" Paige asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Cuddling weather," she explained, grinning. Paige smiled too; that certainly did sound appealing.

"Who's that?" Emily asked suddenly, gesturing to Paige's side. She looked where Emily was pointing and saw Alison whispering to one of her friends not too far away, laughing.

"Oh. A student of mine who doesn't care for me very much," she replied, shrugging.

"Why not?" Emily asked. "What's not to like?"

"We got off on the wrong foot," she explained. "I caught her calling me a dyke over text when I told her to put her phone away."

"Nice," Emily replied sarcastically. "You've had a lot of bad run ins with that word, haven't you?"

"What can I say?" she sighed. "I guess I bring out the worst in people."

"Not me," Emily replied, leaning in to kiss her. Paige smiled.

"Thanks, Em."

"Does she give you a hard time regularly?"

"Somewhat. She's just one of those. But, don't worry. There's this kid Darren who always sticks up for me."

"Aw. Sounds like someone has a little crush on his professor," Emily replied, and Paige laughed.

"No way. I gotta run, but I'll see you later. I'll pick you up at five for dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan," Emily told her. She watched her disappear down the hall before heading into her office, a smile on her face.

She let her morning lecture out a little early, waiting before they were gone to erase the notes on "Don Quixote" off of the board. As she was doing so she felt as if she were being watched, even though she was alone in the room. Unnerved, she turned to the door and jumped when she saw a young male, probably a student, peering in at her. She just stared, not sure what to do, until he finally turned and walked away. She went to the door and opened it, watching him to see if he would turn around and look at her. He didn't.

"Weird," she muttered, going back into the classroom.

* * *

><p>Paige was on her way to her lab after her morning lecture to check on some of her Petri dishes from the previous day when she heard shouting coming from around the corner. Making the quick decision to investigate, she walked past her lab and to where the commotion was coming from to see Alison up against the wall, her arms pinned by a guy that was maybe her boyfriend. Regardless of who he was, he was hurting her.<p>

"Get the fuck off of me, Ian!"

"Hey!" Paige interrupted loudly. They both looked at her, Ian immediately releasing Alison when he saw her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Alison snapped. "Mind your own business."

"As your professor, it most certainly is my business," she replied. She turned her attention to Ian. "Leave. Right now."

"This isn't over," he shot at Alison, before glaring at Paige and disappearing into the stairwell.

"What the hell?" Alison exclaimed angrily. "I said stay out of it!"

"He was hurting you. I'm not going to just walk away from that," she answered calmly. Maybe Alison hated her, but as her professor she couldn't just pretend like she hadn't seen it. "Please. You can come with me to my office and we can-."

"Leave me alone," she replied. "It's none of your business."

She watched helplessly as Alison stormed away from her, suddenly feeling like bursting into tears. Sure, she wasn't Paige's favorite student, but what she had just seen scared her. She was a victim of abuse, and she didn't know what she could do to help. Especially if Alison wanted nothing to do with her.

She made her way to her lab, too distracted to think of much else. She didn't even hear the door open as she stared mindlessly at the dishes, thinking about Alison and the fear in her eyes when that boy had her pinned against the wall.

"Dr. McCullers?"

Paige gasped and whirled around to see Darren standing behind her. She sighed, pulling her gloves off and stepping towards him.

"I'm sorry, Darren. You scared me."

"Sorry," he replied. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Of course," she replied. "Is everything okay?"

"How do you feel about student teacher relationships?" he asked, and Paige suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She realized this wasn't a student just innocently coming for help.

"I don't understand."

"You know exactly what I mean," he replied, stepping closer. She took a step back.

"If you're implying what I think….. I think it is highly inappropriate," she told him, hoping he would back off.

"Why would people need to know?"

"Darren, you do realize I'm a lesbian?" she asked, hoping he would get the message. She didn't normally talk about her personal life with students, but he needed to hear it. "Don't you hear everything Alison calls me?"

"I thought she was just trying to hurt your feelings," he replied, finally stopping where he was. "She's so mean to you. I'm always nice."

"Yes," she agreed, wondering if she was going to have to scream for help. Or maybe squirt Crystal Violet into his eye. "This is inappropriate, Darren. If you don't have questions about the material, you need to leave."

He stared at her a moment, and for a brief second she was afraid he was going lunge at her. But instead he turned and left, slamming the door behind him as she sank into her chair in relief.

* * *

><p>"That's really creepy," Emily remarked later that night. They were out at dinner as planned, and Paige was telling Emily about Darren in her lab. She had yet to bring up Alison, as she wasn't sure if she should tell. It wasn't her business, but she couldn't bring herself to just walk away if the girl needed help.<p>

"I know. I thought he was going to…. rush me or something."

"Oh, Paige…. is there someone nearby who can help you? In case he tries something?" she asked, concerned.

"Em, don't worry. I'd be in my lab and there's plenty I could use as a weapon."

Emily smiled. She guessed that was true.

"Well, while we're on the subject of creepy, something weird happened to me after my morning class."

"What?" Paige asked curiously.

"I was erasing notes from the board and I looked up and there was this guy staring at me through the window on the door. We looked at each other and then he just walked away."

"Was he a student?" she asked.

"I think so. He had a university sweatshirt on."

"Did he have sandy hair?" Paige asked, something suddenly occurring to her.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I think that was Darren. The guy trying to come on to me."

"Why would he be staring at me?"

"Because he's seen us together," she replied simply.

"So… is he, like, in love with you?" Emily asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"I don't know. But tomorrow is going to be very uncomfortable."

Emily smiled at her, reassuringly squeezing Paige's hand. Paige felt that familiar surge of desire at Emily's touch. She knew she would have to give in soon. It was getting harder and harder for them to just go home after their make out sessions, and Paige knew Emily wanted it just as much as she did. She just wanted the time to be right.

"Come here," Emily replied, leaning in to kiss her. She did, not caring that they were drawing stares from the other people.

"You always know how to make me feel better," Paige told her. Emily grinned.

"After dinner, are you up for a drive?"

"With you? Always."

They drove around for a while later on, talking and laughing with the occasional kiss at a red light. Paige drove Emily back to her apartment, making the sudden decision to tell her about Alison before she got out of the car.

"Hey, Em?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to ask your advice on something."

"Okay," she replied, looking at Paige curiously.

"I saw one of my students today with a guy in the hallway. He…. he was getting physical with her. I confronted them and she told me to stay out of her business. Maybe I should. But, what if he really hurts her? Knowing what's going on I don't think I can just walk away."

"Who was it? Her boyfriend?"

"I don't know," she replied helplessly. "What should I do?"

"Honestly?" Emily answered, gently stroking Paige's cheek. "I would tell someone. She could be in danger."

Paige nodded. Emily was right.

"Okay," she agreed as they got out of the car. She walked Emily up to her apartment, pausing to kiss her again before she went inside. "Good night, Em."

"Good night," she replied, her hand lingering on Paige's wrist. She unlocked her door and went inside. Paige smiled to herself as she walked back outside, her spirits high after spending the evening with Emily.

As she was getting into her car she noticed a black Honda parked across the street. She couldn't explain why, but it unsettled her. Maybe because of everything else that had happened that day. Shrugging it off, she got into her car.

She was about halfway home when she realized the car was following her. She frowned as she looked into the mirror, trying to see who it was behind her. She couldn't see, but she was driving on a back road that she was almost always on alone. Something wasn't right.

She made a sharp, sudden turn, relieved when they drove past. She sighed in relief, her hands shaking as she continued on her way home.

As soon as she got home she practically ran inside, locking the door behind her and turning every light in the living room on. She took a deep breath, sinking onto the couch and closing her eyes.

"How was your date?" Caleb asked, appearing in the doorway, and Paige screamed.

"Caleb!"

"What?" he asked, confused. "What the hell, Paige?"

"You scared me. I didn't know you were here," she told him, although she was glad he was. "My date was great. I really, really like her."

"Then why are you so jumpy?" he asked, flopping down next to her.

"Lot of things," she replied. "I'm glad you're here."

Caleb raised his eyebrows. She snuggled into his side and he put his arm around her.

"Paige? Really, what happened?"

"I think someone followed me home. That's all. I didn't want to be alone."

"What? Who?"

"I don't know. I just had a weird day. Dinner with Emily was the only normal part of my day."

"Get that pussy," he replied, poking her shoulder. She shoved him.

"You're disgusting."

"What happened to being happy to see me?" he complained as she got up.

"I'm getting a beer. You want one?"

"Sure," he replied, glancing at her cell phone on the table. "Hey, Paige?"

"What?"

"A restricted number's calling you."

"Answer it!" she exclaimed, running back into the living room. Caleb did, Paige diving onto the couch next to him.

"Nothing," he told her. She grabbed the phone from him.

"Hello? Who is this?" she demanded, starting to feel scared. "Don't call here again."

She ended the call, looking at Caleb. He shrugged.

"Probably just a prank call."

"Caleb, something weird is going on. I don't know what it is but I'm kind of scared."

"Don't be," he told her.

"I'm going to shower," she told him, getting up. Maybe she would feel better after. "Then I'm going to call Emily. Make sure I locked the door."

With that, she went down the hall to the bathroom, unable to shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

**A/N: Thank you for the great reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far. Next chapter is the first smutty one, just to give a heads up if that's not your thing. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Trigger warning for talk of self harm and suicide. If these are sensitive for you, please proceed with caution. **

"How many times did they call?" Emily asked as she and Paige sat together on the couch in Emily's apartment. They were watching a movie on TV but had started discussing the events of the past few days. Paige had told her about being followed home from her apartment and the phone call she had gotten after. She had gotten one a day since, all the same with no one on the other end. Caleb luckily hadn't been working nights recently, which was fine with her because she felt safer with him around. Nothing had happened to suggest her life was in danger, but it was enough to unnerve her.

"It's just been once a day," Paige replied, running her fingers down Emily's leg. "But it's kind of creeping me out."

"I'm sure," Emily replied sympathetically. "I wish I could help."

"I'm hoping it will just stop," Paige continued. "Maybe a student got my number and thinks they're being funny."

"Maybe."

They were silent a moment, watching the TV. Emily looked up at her, running her fingers up her arm.

"Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"What about Alison? Did you tell anyone?"

"I talked to one of the counselors. She's supposed to set up an appointment with her. I don't know if she'll tell the truth, but I needed to try."

"You know what I think?" Emily asked, wrapping her arms tightly around Paige. "I think even though you try to seem like a hard ass you have the biggest heart."

Paige chuckled at that. She guessed Emily was right; she tried to appear tough to her students but she really was more compassionate than she wanted to admit. That was one of the things she loved about Emily, the way she could see who she really was.

"You're a very good analyst," she told her, kissing the top of her head. Emily responded by kissing her softly but passionately.

Their make out session was interrupted by Paige's phone buzzing. She fumbled around for it without her lips leaving Emily's to make sure it wasn't the restricted number. It was Caleb.

"Fuck," she muttered, reading the message.

"What's wrong?"

"He's working a night shift tonight. I'm going to be there by myself."

"Well," Emily started, taking a deep breath. "You can always stay here."

Paige looked at her, surprised. Emily was asking her to stay the night. Would that mean what she hoped? They had waited long enough, and it was getting more and more difficult to not consummate.

"I… I would like that," she replied, her heart racing. Emily smiled, leaning in to kiss her. "What about clothes?"

Emily pulled back, her hands cupping Paige's face. Her eyes were dark with lust.

"I was hoping you wouldn't need any."

Paige's mouth opened slightly. Emily kissed her again and she kissed back eagerly, not even trying to fight her arousal like she normally did. This was finally happening.

"Paige," Emily whispered, sliding her hand between her legs. Paige gasped, her arousal seeping onto her jeans. She reached for the zipper on Emily's sweatshirt, undoing it as they kissed. "Wait."

"What?" Paige asked, panting.

"Bedroom," Emily replied, pulling her up. "Hanna might come back."

They hurried back to Emily's bedroom, shutting the door behind them and climbing into bed. They resumed where they left off, undressing each other slowly as they kissed. Paige had Emily pinned under her, massaging her bare breasts and watching her facial expressions as she did so. She was beautiful, and looked nearly angelic in the moonlight shining through the window. She took a nipple into her mouth, sucking gently as Emily moaned in approval. The sound fed her fire and she continued with renewed purposed, giving her other breast the same attention.

"Oh, Paige," Emily gasped as Paige rubbed at her clit. "That feels so good."

"You like that?" she asked huskily, continuing. Emily moaned loudly.

"I'll take that as a yes," she replied, slipping two fingers inside of her. She started thrusting slowly, her thumb hitting her clit with each thrust. Emily was gasping continuously, her face contorted into a beautiful expression of pleasure. Paige felt her own center throbbing just from Emily's reaction.

"Fuck me," Emily gasped, bucking her hips. "Faster, Paige, faster!"

Paige did as she was told, Emily's wet velvet walls clenching down around her. Everything about her was perfect, just like she knew it would be, and she didn't want it to end. She could do it all night if Emily would let her.

Emily cried out loudly, reaching out for Paige's free hand. She was close, and her noises were growing louder and louder as Paige thrust faster and faster.

"Paige," Emily gasped breathlessly. "I'm gonna….. oh, fuck…. I'm gonna come!"

And she did, crying out in pleasure as she clamped hard around Paige's fingers. Paige helped her ride out her orgasm before pulling out of her, leaning in to kiss her gently. Emily's chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath, a satisfied smile on her face as Paige looked down at her, grinning a goofy grin.

"That was…. holy shit," she panted. Paige leaned in to kiss her.

"I'm glad you thought so."

Emily smiled, tracing her finger up Paige's arm as she finally began to breathe normally again. She wanted to make Paige come undone like she had just done for her. She wanted to see her squirming, to hear her cry out in ecstasy. The thought was all she needed to get her strength back enough to flip them, straddling Paige as she let out a small sound of surprise.

"Take your shirt off," Emily whispered. She was surprised when Paige didn't comply. "Paige?"

"There's something you need to know first," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Emily looked at her.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"Remember how I told you about being tortured in high school? People called me dyke all the time and told me I was a disgusting pervert. They used to make a big deal in the locker room about me looking at them changing. I would go home and cry every day. Every single day. Then I started cutting. I thought it would take away some of the pain. And for a while it did, but then it wasn't enough. I…. I tried to kill myself."

Emily stared at her, open mouthed, a tear sliding down her cheek. How could people have been so cruel to someone so kind, so gentle? It gave her a physical pain in her heart as she looked at the beautiful woman under her, so vulnerable as she waited for Emily's reaction.

"Oh, Paige," she whispered, trying not to let her tears go. Paige swallowed hard.

"I still have scars. I needed you to know before you saw them, in case…. in case….."

Emily pulled her into her arms, holding her tight as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She would give anything to be able to take Paige's pain back, and she certainly didn't want her thinking that she was undesirable.

"You're perfect," Emily whispered. "And I want all of you, so so much. Please, trust me."

Paige slowly removed her shirt. Emily saw right away what she meant and she could tell by Paige's face that she was afraid she would be rejected. She smiled gently, stroking Paige's lips with her finger.

"You're Paige. With or without the scars. And I think I am so lucky to have a girlfriend like you."

"Why?" Paige asked curiously.

"You care so much about others. You're smart and brave and you're better than all of those shits you went to high school with. They can't even compete with you."

Paige chuckled in relief. Emily wasn't going to kick her out. She meant what she said, and that meant the world to her.

"Please," she started gently. "Let me make love to you."

Paige nodded, her arousal quickly returning as Emily positioned herself between her legs. She had never felt so wanted, so valued before and it was the best feeling ever.

"You want me, don't you?" she cooed, slipping her fingers easily through Paige's wet folds. She moaned in response. "I thought so." She briefly dipped a finger inside before immediately pulling it out, much to Paige's dismay.

"Em…"

"You are so beautiful," she whispered, nipping Paige's ear. Paige gulped, her center throbbing painfully. "I have wanted to do this for so long. I don't know how I've managed to control myself."

Paige couldn't agree more. As wonderful as the past few weeks had been, it had been sweet torture not giving in to Emily. And now that it was happening, she couldn't believe they had been able to wait as long as they had.

Her breath caught when Emily began kissing her way down her stomach, stopping as she reached her center. She moaned loudly when Emily's mouth connected with her, licking up and down her wet slit. She clutched the sheets, stars before her eyes as Emily worked her mouth perfectly. She would have to remember to thank Caleb for working a night shift.

"Fuck," she moaned, closing her eyes. The pleasure was too much and she could feel a massive orgasm building inside of her. Emily was by the far the best lover she had ever had and she hadn't even come yet. She was attentive and incredibly skilled, yet so sweet at the same time. Everything any other woman Paige had ever been with wasn't.

She was already close, and when Emily began sucking on her clit she knew she was a goner. Her body tensed and she cried Emily's name as she came, the waves of pleasure washing rapidly over her. She was still shuddering slightly as Emily placed a soft kiss on the swollen bud and moved up to kiss Paige's mouth, allowing her to taste herself. She gently stroked her cheek, smiling down at her as Paige looked at her through hooded eyes, a content smile on her face.

"That was worth the wait, wasn't it?" she asked sleepily. Emily chuckled.

"It was barely three weeks."

"So? It was longer than I thought I was going to last," she replied, pulling Emily down for a kiss. "Thanks for asking me to stay."

"Of course," Emily told her, lying down next to her. "You're always welcome here. If Caleb's working and you don't want to be alone, you know where to find me."

"You're sweet," Paige told her, snuggling up against her. "Hanna's not going to tease you too much tomorrow morning, is she?"

"Let her," Emily replied, looking into Paige's giant brown eyes. "Nothing can change how happy I am."

Paige smiled, taking her hand. That was the truth.

"Now," Emily started, rolling on top of her. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for round two."

* * *

><p>The next morning was Saturday, so neither one of them were in any hurry to get out of bed. They were snuggled close together under the blankets, kissing lightly.<p>

"Last night was perfect," Paige told Emily softly, rubbing her hand up and down her arm. Emily smiled at her, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. I can't tell you how glad I am that I took the job here instead of at Valley Hill."

"You and me both," Paige agreed, kissing her again. She found herself growing aroused once again, and luckily, Emily had a similar idea as she slid her hand between Paige's legs, rubbing at her clit. "Em."

"I don't know about you, but I absolutely love morning sex," Emily told her softly. Paige gulped at the sensation, sliding her own fingers into Emily to match her thrusts.

"Fuck," was all Paige could reply as she buried her face in Emily's shoulder.

When they were finished they dressed and made their way out to the kitchen, where Hanna was drinking coffee at the table. Her face lit up when she saw Paige, followed by a sly smirk.

"Hi, Paige. I guess I know what all that noise was last night."

"Hanna!" Emily exclaimed. Hanna just grinned.

"There's plenty of coffee for you guys in the pot. And make sure you eat a good breakfast. You probably need it."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Yes, actually. I have to be at work in a half hour. Nice seeing you, Paige."

"You, too," Paige replied, her cheeks still pink as Hanna disappeared from the kitchen. Emily looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," she replied, kissing her forehead. "Caleb wouldn't be any better."

"We should set them up," she joked as Emily went to pour them coffee. "Thanks again for letting me stay with you last night."

"Of course. You don't need to thank me, Paige. I certainly enjoyed myself."

"I could tell," Paige replied, smirking. Emily grinned, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Well, we'll have to do it again sometime soon."

"Sounds good to me," Paige agreed as she pulled Emily in for a kiss.

* * *

><p>Monday afternoon Paige was in her lab, catching up on some of the work she had meant to do last week. Now that she was dating Emily, she had less free time to spend in the lab, but she certainly didn't mind. Emily had filled in the big hole she had in her heart and more so, so it was worth being slightly behind in her work. Besides, Monday was Emily's fullest day, so she would have plenty of time in her lab.<p>

She was so concentrated on her pipetting that she didn't even hear the door open. Someone cleared their throat and she jumped, whirling around. Alison was standing behind her, her eyes red and swollen.

"Dr. McCullers? Can I talk to you?" she asked softly. Paige nodded, pulling her gloves off.

"Of course."

"What you saw last week. That's my boyfriend and he… I don't know who he is anymore," she replied, sniffing. "I'm scared. He keeps hurting me and I don't think he cares. I… I'm afraid he's going to kill me."

Paige was silent for a moment, not really sure what to say. The poor girl seemed terrified, and what she had seen last week had been very unsettling. If she was actually reaching out for help, then of course Paige had to give it to her.

"Why don't you let me take you to the counselor?" she suggested. "Spencer is a very good person to talk to and she'll know how to help you."

"I don't want him anywhere near me," she replied. "Can she do that?"

"She can," Paige assured her. "She's helped a lot of young women in situations similar to yours."

Alison nodded. Paige felt terrible for her, regardless of all the sniping they had done at each other during class. She guessed everyone had a story, which was why you couldn't judge them, no matter how awful they seemed.

"Will you walk me there?" she asked. Paige nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," she replied, leading her out of the lab. She walked her across campus to the health center, where she asked for Spencer at the front desk. She came out of her office immediately, smiling when she saw Paige.

"McCullers!"

"That's Dr. McCullers to you, Hastings," she replied. "I have a student who would like to speak with you."

Spencer nodded, looking at Alison.

"Okay. Thank you for bringing her."

"Good luck," Paige told Alison, offering her a kind smile. "I'm always here if you want to talk."

She watched Spencer lead Alison into her office, leaving the Health Center once the door was closed. She felt relieved as she walked back to Curie Hall, glad that she was able to help and this would be taken care of. Spencer would make sure Ian never came near her again. That was one less thing to worry about.

She didn't realize she was being watched as she walked back to her lab.

**A/N 2: There is a character death in the next chapter, just to give you a heads up. Things will get a lot more interesting from here. Thanks for reading and letting me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Things start to get intense in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

"Holy shit, Em," Paige gasped, struggling to catch her breath. The two of them were naked on Paige's couch, having just finished a vigorous lovemaking session, leaving both of them too exhausted to move. Emily was resting practically on top of her, just as breathless.

"I know," she chuckled, leaning in for a kiss. "It's a good thing I haven't had an asthma attack in ten years."

"You have asthma?" Paige asked, concerned.

"Technically. I don't have attacks anymore."

"Oh. Good." She sighed as Emily kissed her gently, her hand caressing her bare arm.

"I might have to cancel class tomorrow. I don't think I'll be able to walk."

"I'm good, huh?" Paige bragged. "Yeah. I don't think I'll be able to, either."

Emily sat up and stretched, yawning loudly. Paige gave her a questioning look she got up and began searching for her clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"We better move so Caleb doesn't come back and find us naked on the couch."

"Fair point," she sighed, reluctantly getting up after her. Before she had the chance to reach for her shirt the door flew open and Emily screamed, ducking behind the couch as Paige tried to cover herself. "Caleb!" she shouted as Caleb turned away, covering his eyes.

"I'm not looking!" he told them as they quickly pulled their clothes on.

"What the hell are you doing back?" she snapped.

"They let me go early. I'm sorry," he told them, closing the door. He frowned. "Wait. Were you doing something on our couch?"

"Go away," Paige replied, turning to Emily. Her head was bowed, her arms folded over her stomach. "Em? I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replied, kissing Paige gently. "We should probably call it a night anyway."

"Okay," Paige sighed. "We're on for dinner and you staying here Friday night?"

"Of course," Emily assured her, kissing her again before heading to the door. "Good night."

"Good night," Paige replied, staring after her in a daze. She didn't even notice Caleb standing next to her.

"You are so whipped."

"You're a dick."

"I'm serious."

"I think I'm in love with her," she replied. Caleb whistled. "No. I know I'm in love with her."

"Tell her, then."

"You think I should?" Paige asked skeptically.

"You know her roommate, Hanna? The hot one?"

"I would call Emily the hot one. But, yes."

"I see her at work sometimes. And trust me when I say, tell her."

With that he left the room, leaving Paige staring after him.

* * *

><p>The next day, she did not fail to notice that Alison was not in lab. She hadn't been in lecture the day before either, and she figured that she was taking some personal time after speaking to Spencer the week before. She had heard rumors that Alison had gotten a restraining order against Ian, and Paige was relieved to hear that. She would be okay.<p>

After the students left she debated maybe emailing her, just to check in and make sure everything was okay. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries though, and decided against it. Alison would reach out to her if she wanted to. Instead she just decided to get some more work done.

She was locking up the microbiology lab and ready to start towards her own when her cell phone rang. Cursing under her breath she reached into her lab coat pocket and pulled it out, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Paige? It's Ezra."

"Ezra. Hi," she replied. He was one of the English composition teachers she had become friendly with. "What's up?"

"You have Alison DiLaurentis in one of your classes, right?"

"Yes. Why?" she asked, her uneasy feeling from the previous week returning. "What's wrong?"

"She hasn't been in class this week. She missed lecture Monday and Wednesday. I haven't even gotten an email from her saying she's been sick or something. I mean, I've heard rumors about what happened with her boyfriend, but…. I'm concerned."

"She hasn't been in my class, either," Paige replied. "Should we get someone to check on her."

"We could. But maybe we should wait another day or two. I don't want to get in her business."

"I know what you mean."

"Okay. I'll let you go. Thanks, Paige."

"Yeah," she replied as he hung up. She put her cell phone back in her pocket, a knot in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Every student knew to email a professor if they were going to miss class, especially two days worth. Unless something horrible had happened to them. "You're pathetic, Paige," she muttered to herself. "Absolutely pathetic."

She left the lab and started for her own, hoping staring a microbes under a microscope would make her feel calmer. She met Mona on the way, who was drinking a coffee almost as tall as she was.

"Paigey! What's up?" she asked cheerfully. Paige shrugged.

"Nothing much."

"Hey. What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the look on Paige's face. "Sweetie, you can tell me."

"Come with me to the lab," she replied. "I'll fill you in."

Mona went with her and she explained everything, including Ezra's phone call. She was worried, even though she knew she probably didn't need to be. But the compassionate part of her just couldn't help it.

"Paige, you worry too much," Mona told her. "Your life would be so much easier if you didn't care so much about other people."

"I know," she sighed. "But I can't help it. It's how I am."

"You're a good person," Mona continued. "But, I think what you need is to take the rest of the day off. You're in this lab all the time as it is. Go home, have a drink. Spend time with Emily. Get laid. Do something to calm yourself down. I hate seeing you so stressed all the time."

"I have a lot to do here."

"I know. But we all need some down time, too. Seriously. Go home."

"I am losing it, aren't I?" she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right," Mona replied. "Come on. I'll walk you out."

"You're a good friend," Paige told her. "Even if you are a little crazy."

Mona grinned at her, following her out of the lab. They exited the building through the back since it was closer to the parking lot, but as soon as they were outside they were met with a horrible stench that seemed like it was coming from the dumpster. It was vile, the most disgusting thing Paige had ever smelled before, and it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Mona was covering her mouth as Paige turned to her, her own eyes watering.

"What the fuck is that?" she choked out. Mona shook her head, telling her she didn't know, as she went to the dumpster to investigate. Before Paige knew what was happening Mona was screaming bloody murder, stumbling backwards. In a blur Paige rushed up to her, only for her to point with a shaking finger at the dumpster. She couldn't even form one word so Paige walked forward herself, peering inside. The sight she was met with made everything spin, all thoughts vanishing from her mind as she stared at the bloodied body of Alison DiLaurentis.

She turned her head, dazed, vaguely aware of Mona screaming for help. Her stomach churned and she could feel bile rising in her throat as she stumbled backwards, bending down and vomiting almost all over Mona's feet. She sank to the ground as countless people, students and professors, came running towards them. She wasn't even sure her brain was functioning as other screams filled the air, Mona clutching onto her as she sobbed loudly. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.

* * *

><p>"I'd like your essays for 'Don Quixote' done by Monday," Emily told her class, picking up the stack of new books. "With the last twenty minutes we're going to start talking about 'The Canterbury Tales.' I'm sure you've heard home long and boring it is, but I happen to find it-."<p>

"Professor!" one of the girls in the back shouted, jumping out of her seat. Emily looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, Sydney?"

"They found someone dead by the science wing! Dr. McCullers and Dr. Vanderwaal found-."

"Class is dismissed," Emily told them hurriedly, practically running out of the room. She rushed all the way to the science building, fighting through the crowd of people and sea of police to find Paige. She could see a sheet covered figure while police began setting up crime scene tape, barking at everyone to stay back. Finally she spotted Paige sitting with Mona off to the side, visibly trembling. "Paige!"

Paige looked up at the sound of Emily's voice, immediately bursting into tears when she saw her running towards her.

"Em," she sobbed, reaching out her arms. Emily pulled her in close, holding her shaking body as she tried to soothe her. She was crying too without even realizing it, not even able to imagine what Paige must be feeling. Noel, Mona's boyfriend, showed up too, making the same attempts to comfort his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry," Emily whispered, rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry."

Paige could only cry, too hysterical to form words. Having Emily there did make her feel better, and she held onto her as if she were drowning. She didn't think she could walk and she was so in shock she didn't even know if she would be able to form full sentences. But Emily wasn't going anywhere and she held her tight, stroking her hair and whispering soothing things in her ear.

"Try to take a deep breath, Paige," she soothed. "You're going to hyperventilate."

Paige sniffed hard in response, trying a shaky breath. She buried her face back in Emily's shirt, more tears coming to her eyes.

"Paige?"

Emily looked up to see a young police officer standing in front of them, his blue eyes full of concern.

"Toby," she gasped through her tears. "I…I…."

"Can this wait?" Emily asked, trying her best to calm her down.

"Yeah," Toby replied, shifting uncomfortably. "We'll need to talk to both of them once they calm down."

"Paige, breathe," Emily whispered to her, feeling as if her heart was breaking. She couldn't bear seeing her so upset.

"Maybe she should talk to Spencer," he suggested. "Not today, but it might help."

"I'm sorry, who's Spencer again?" she asked, her mind frazzled. She had met a lot of new people over the past month, and at the moment most of them were running together.

"My girlfriend. She's a counselor here."

"Thanks," she replied quietly, turning her attention back to Paige. She seemed as if she was finally running out of tears, her breathing ragged but more steady than before. "Can I take her home? Please?"

"Well….." Toby thought for a minute, looking around. "Okay. But she'll have to come to the station soon."

"Thank you," Emily replied gratefully, helping Paige stand on shaky legs. "We're going home, honey."

She led Paige to the car and helped her inside, driving them both to Paige's apartment as Paige sniffled and cried quietly beside her. She needed to do something to calm her, she just didn't know what. She was hoping they had sleeping pills or something, because she didn't think Paige would ever relax otherwise.

No one else was home when they got there. Emily led Paige upstairs, getting her settled on the couch before going to search their medicine cabinets. She didn't find anything of use except an old bottle of Prozac in Paige's name. But looking at the date she was disappointed to see it was three years old.

She went back out to the living room and sat down next to Paige, taking her in her arms and holding her tight. Paige whimpered, clutching onto her.

"It's okay," she whispered, kissing her hair. "It's going to be okay."

"It's not," she rasped, sniffing hard. "She's dead. I tried to help her and she's dead."

"You know you can't blame yourself."

"He did it. I know he did."

"Who?"

"Ian Thomas. Her boyfriend. She came to me last week, Emily. She told me he was hurting her and she was scared he was going to kill her. I took her to Spencer and they got her a restraining order. But he…. he did it anyway."

"Baby, you did everything you could," she soothed, not even realizing the pet name until it had already slipped out. But Paige didn't seem to mind.

"It doesn't matter. She's dead. I failed."

"You didn't fail to keep her safe. It wasn't your responsibility."

"I feel so awful," she replied, covering her face. "All we did was fight. She was so….. cruel to me. And I got tired of putting up with it."

"You have nothing to feel guilty about. Please believe me."

"But, don't you see? That's what I do. I always feel guilty about everything," she replied, starting to cry again.

"Paige….. you're going to dehydrate yourself."

"I need to tell the police everything about Ian. They need to know it was him."

"Oh, Paige…." She trailed off, unsure of what to say. Paige was beyond comfort right now, and the best she could do was sit there and hold her. "Do you have any tea?"

"I think so," she replied, giving Emily a strange look. "Why?"

"I'm making you some," she answered, standing up.

While she was in the kitchen, Caleb came home. He took one look at Paige sitting on the couch and frowned, sitting down next to her.

"Paige? Is it Emily?"

She shook her head as Emily came out to the living room. He looked confused, looking back and forth between them.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Come with me," Emily replied, leading him out of the room so Paige couldn't hear them. "Paige and Mona found a student dead. It was someone having troubles with a boyfriend and Paige tried to help her but now she's dead and she's pretty inconsolable right now."

"Holy shit," Caleb whispered. "Wow."

"Yeah. I was looking for something to give her, but all I found was expired Prozac. She doesn't take that anymore?"

"No. She hasn't taken it in years."

"I'm making her tea right now. I don't know how much good it will do, but I'm trying."

"You're helping just by being here," Caleb assured her. Emily gave him a sad smile.

"I want to be there for her."

She spent the night there, spending most of it sitting up with Paige. She got maybe a total of forty-five minutes of sleep, talking to Paige about mindless things for most of the night. Paige dozed twice, waking up both times screaming in terror. Caleb was in and out of the room all night too, unable to sleep much knowing what had happened to his roommate.

They were all exhausted the next morning as Emily and Paige got ready to leave for the police station. She didn't think Paige was ready to talk about it, but she understood that the police were faced with a homicide they needed to solve. So they drove silently to the station, Paige staring out the window the entire time. She was silent as they sat in the waiting room, picking at her nails as Emily rubbed her back.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" she asked. Paige looked at her and nodded, her eyes red and swollen.

"Please."

She followed Paige in when Toby called them in, both of them sitting down in front of his desk. Toby cleared his throat awkwardly, looking at Paige.

"So, Paige, I just want to ask you some questions about Alison DiLaurentis. I understand she was your student."

"Yes," she whispered. "Microbiology."

"What days does that class meet?"

"Tuesday and Friday are lecture. Wednesday is lab."

"Did you interact with the victim outside of class?" he asked. Paige swallowed the bile rising in her throat at hearing Alison referred to as "the victim."

"Only twice. When I caught her boyfriend holding her against a wall and when she came to me for help."

"Hold up. What's this boyfriend's name?" Toby asked excitedly, scribbling notes.

"Ian Thomas. He ran away and she yelled at me to stay out of her business."

"And the next time?"

"She came to me and asked for help. She said he kept hurting her and she was afraid he was going to kill her."

"She said that?" Toby asked. "For real?"

"Yes. I took her to Spencer. You should talk to her."

"I'm going to. She's coming in at noon."

"She should be able to tell you enough that will show that scum bag killed her."

"Hold it. While he's certainly a suspect, that doesn't mean he killed her."

"Then who did?" she snapped. "One week he's throwing her up against a wall and making her fear for her life. The next she's dead. Who do you think did it?"

"It doesn't look good for him," he agreed. "But we need actual evidence before we arrest him."

"Well, see what you think when you talk to Spencer."

"Paige," Emily started gently, touching her arm. "It's okay."

"We will, Paige. Don't worry."

She didn't answer. Toby closed his notebook.

"Is there anything else that would help us?"

"I don't think so. I don't think she liked me very much. That's why it was so unnerving when she came to me for help."

"She didn't like you?"

"She insulted me a lot. Called me a dyke and stuff."

"Oh," Toby replied, looking surprised.

"She never listened, either. But, maybe… maybe it was just because she was scared."

"How about you, Miss…?"

"Emily."

"Emily. Did you ever speak to her?"

"No. She's not my student."

"Well…. we're looking for someone stronger than her. Most likely male. The damage done to her body was-."

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Paige announced, her face ghostly pale. Toby jumped up from his desk, almost falling over his chair to slide the garbage can in front of her. She vomited, Emily holding her hair back as she coughed and gagged.

"It's okay," she soothed, rubbing her back. "Can I take her home?"

"Yeah," he replied, making a face. "Take her to see Spencer tomorrow. She needs it."

Emily nodded, holding onto Paige as she stood up.

"I will."

"Thank you, ladies. Stay safe."

**A/N 2: If I finish the next chapter by tonight, I can post that too. So you may get two today since I'm trying to get as much done before I go back to school. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't help you if you won't talk to me, Paige," Spencer told her gently. She was sitting behind her desk, Paige hunched over in the seat in front of her, staring at the floor. Spencer was trying to coax her to talk about Alison, but she wasn't having it.

"I don't need your help."

"Emily says you aren't sleeping. That's a problem, Paige. But you need to tell me what you're feeling instead of keeping it inside. That's not going to help anyone."

"I said I don't need your fucking help!" she shouted. "Jesus Christ!"

"Then why are you here?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Because Toby fucking strong armed me into it, that's why."

"Could you watch your mouth, please?"

"Fuck," she replied defiantly. Spencer massaged her temples.

"Are you five?"

"You're a really shitty counselor, you know that?"

"I can't do anything unless you want me to, Paige. You need to talk to me. Mona's been here twice already."

"Did you give her a fucking medal?"

"Paige, please."

"I thought you couldn't tell me something like that."

"I'm telling you that as your friend, not a counselor. Please talk to me."

Paige looked away, hoping she couldn't see the tears in her eyes. She knew she was being a total bitch but couldn't stop herself. She was scared and traumatized, and she couldn't bring herself to talk about it. She felt terrible that she hadn't been able to help her student, and she was scared that there was a killer on the loose and all of those strange things had been happening, like phone calls with no one there. She felt helpless, and even though Spencer was offering her help, she still felt so alone.

"I want to leave," she replied quietly. "I want to go home."

Spencer was silent for a moment. But she knew Paige was stubborn, and if she didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to.

"Fine. Go."

She got up and stormed out of her office, knocking one of her pictures off of a table by the door. She started for the parking lot, hyperventilating as tears began to pour down her cheeks. When she reached her car she leaned against it and let the tears come fully, trying to slow her breathing. She felt lightheaded, out of control. Almost like she didn't know where she was. She buried her face between her legs, letting the blood flow back to her head before pulling out her cell phone and dialing Emily's number.

"Em?" she whispered, taking a shuddering breath. "You can come over tonight, right? I really need you."

* * *

><p>"Do you need anything else, sweetheart?" Emily asked, settling next to Paige on her bed. She gently ran her fingers through her hair, watching with relief as Paige started eating the sandwich she had made for her. She had barely eaten or slept since finding Alison last week.<p>

"I'm good," she replied. Emily pulled her into her arms, holding her close as she ate. She was worried about her, and really wanted her to get help talking to someone. But she knew it wouldn't be easy, and what Paige really needed was someone who loved her.

"Paige?" she started softly. Paige looked up at her. "I love you."

Paige's eyes widened, immediately filling with tears. Emily smiled, suddenly feeling like crying herself at finally being able to say those words to her.

"You love me?" she asked in disbelief. Emily nodded.

"I do."

"I love you, too," she whispered, a tear sliding down her face. Emily pulled her in for a hug, not wanting to ever let go of her. "Thank you for being here."

"Always," she replied, smiling kindly at her. "Are you sure you don't want anything else? Hot chocolate?"

"You don't need to do all of this, Em."

"I know. I want to," she replied. "So, what do you say?"

"Okay," Paige agreed. She had started realizing how hungry she was.

"Great," Emily replied, leaning in to kiss her. "I'll be back in two seconds."

Paige sighed as Emily left the room, leaning back against her pillows. Emily loved her. She actually loved her. That was one less thing she had to worry about. And, maybe with Emily by her side she would be able to get over this.

But when Emily came back with the hot chocolate, she didn't look happy. She put the cup on the table and wordlessly handed an envelope to Paige.

"What's this?" she asked, confused.

"It was on the floor in the living room. I think someone slipped it under the door."

"What is it?" she asked, opening it.

"I don't know," Emily replied nervously as she sat down next to her.

"'Paige,'" she started. "'I had to kill her. She was a bad person and she needed to die. I'm sorry.'" She stared down at the paper in her hands, the feeling of panic returning. This was from Alison's killer. Ian. But why would Ian send her a letter? He didn't know her. He wouldn't care what she thought. "This doesn't make sense."

"I'm calling Toby," Emily decided. Paige didn't argue.

Toby wanted to speak to Paige. She took the phone from Emily, burrowing deeper into her side.

"What?"

"Emily told me about the letter. I want it tomorrow."

"Okay."

"And one more thing."

"What?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Ian didn't kill Alison."

"What?" she exclaimed. He was wrong. He had to be. "There's no way."

"We brought him in for questioning. He has a solid alibi. He didn't kill her."

"That doesn't make sense. It just doesn't."

"We were all hoping for it to be cut and dry, Paige. A domestic abuse case turned murder would be nice and neat. Much better than a random killer on the loose. But, we have to start looking at other suspects."

"Like who?"

"That's really all I can tell you. I've already said more than I should."

"I think the killer's the one that's been following me," she told him, finally confessing the fear that had been nagging at her the past week.

"We'll talk about that," he replied. "Don't worry, Paige. Try to get some sleep."

"Yeah. Sure."

She hung up, turning to Emily. She looked worried.

"Ian didn't kill Alison."

"What?" Emily asked, her eyes widening.

"Yup. And I think the killer is the one that keeps calling here. Why else would he send me a letter?"

"Paige," Emily whispered, pulling her in close. "No matter who this is, I'm not going to let anything happen. No, I'll do you one better. I'll find out who it is."

"The hell you will. There's no way you're getting mixed up in this, Emily. We're talking about a murderer."

"I can't let anything happen to you," she whispered, starting to cry. Paige didn't think she had ever seen anything so heartbreaking.

"No, no… please don't cry," she begged. "It's going to be okay. Toby is going to take care of it."

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm supposed to be comforting you."

Paige stroked her cheek, giving her a sad smile. They had been so happy, so excited about their relationship. And even though they were in a strong place, they had dealt with far more than most couples during their first month of dating.

"I think maybe we just need to comfort each other," she replied, snuggling in closer. Emily nodded and pulled her in close, holding her tight in her arms.

* * *

><p>"Make sure you finish the lab today and don't leave anything for next week," Paige told her class, rubbing her temples. She could feel a massive headache coming on. She had spent the whole class not focusing on Alison's seat. None of them seemed upset she was gone. Sure, it had been big news, but no one liked her, as she had overheard Aria Montgomery putting it. Maybe she was right. Maybe Alison had been a bitch. But it didn't mean she deserved to die.<p>

"Dr. McCullers?"

"Yes, Sydney?"

"I don't think we'll have enough time to finish this. We still have to do the-."

"What did I just say?" she snapped. Sydney shrugged. "Pair up. Fill out in your lab notebook and staple those pages to the back of your report. I want it in lecture first thing Friday."

"Tomorrow?" Darren asked as everyone started protesting.

"Did I stutter?"

"You said it was due next Friday," Sydney argued. "Two days isn't-."

"Are you deaf?" she shouted at her. "I said this Friday! If that's not enough time for you, don't hand it in, but I promise you you'll receive a nice, fat F! Would you like that?"

Sydney shook her head, looking like she was going to cry. The whole class was staring at her in disbelief as she stood there, chest heaving, as the room started to spin. Her panic was coming back, her hands growing clammy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Sydney, I'm sorry. Go home. Leave. Forget about the lab report."

The students packed up quickly and left the lab, whispering to each other. She knew what they were saying and she didn't blame them.

She locked the lab and made her way across campus to the health center, her vision blurred with tears. Spencer was standing at the front desk, talking to the receptionist. She stopped when Paige came in.

"Spencer," she started, sniffing. "I'm ready to talk."

"Come with me," she replied gently. Paige followed her to her office and sat down in the chair, watching as Spencer closed the door and sat down at her desk. "What changed your mind?"

"I think I'm going crazy," she whispered. "I can't stop thinking about it. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I just screamed at one of my students like I couldn't control what I was doing. I keep getting these waves of panic where I can't breathe and everything spins and I can't take it anymore."

"Take a deep breath," Spencer told her gently. "Let me start by telling you that your reaction is perfectly normal. You're not going crazy. You went through something traumatizing that most people couldn't even begin to imagine. And you were emotionally involved."

"I feel so guilty, Spence. I tried to help her. I really did."

"I know," she replied. "And you did. Remember, it wasn't her boyfriend who killed her. Someone else did. There was no way you could have prevented that. The way you can start to heal is telling yourself it wasn't your fault."

"I think I know that deep down," she whispered. "I just wanted there to be something I could do."

"Paige, you're a good person. You care a lot about other people, and that's good. But you can't save everybody. It's impossible. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can move on."

Paige nodded slowly. That made sense. She just didn't know how to follow her advice.

"What about the panic attacks? I used to have them in high school."

"You stopped your medication?"

"A while ago."

"My suggestion? Go back on them. You remember Melissa, right?"

"Yeah."

"She's married to a psychiatrist. Dr. Wren Kingston. I'll call him and he can fit you in right away."

"Thanks, Spence," she replied, giving her a sad smile. "I'm really sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. But I'm glad you came for help."

When she came into the waiting room, she was surprised but glad to see Emily waiting for her. Emily took her in her arms, letting out a small sigh.

"Em, how did you know I was here?"

"Ezra told me. I'm not sure who told him, but here I am."

Paige knew. Aria and Ezra had a thing going on the side, and she had witnessed Paige's meltdown and probably told him. Emily hadn't been filled in on those details yet, although she was surprised she hadn't heard rumors.

"Thank you."

"Do you feel better?" she asked.

"A little," she replied. "You know what I really need?"

"What?"

"A night out. Just us."

"We can make that happen," Emily replied, and she gave her a loving kiss.

**A/N: Thanks again for all the great reviews! I'm glad you're all liking the story and I hope you're into the mystery. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: For some reason when I posted chapter 6 yesterday the story didn't go to the top of the list like it usually does when there's an update. So, just in case some of you didn't notice there was another update, I posted chapter 6 last night. Here's chapter 7. Enjoy!**

"This was a good idea," Paige remarked, digging into her food. She and Emily had gone out for dinner after her request to just get out for a while, and for the time being, she was feeling better. Talking to Spencer and admitting how guilty she felt had helped to some degree, and just spending any time with Emily was always enough to soothe her.

"It was," Emily agreed, watching as Paige shoveled her food into her mouth. She was glad to see her eating, and she wanted to keep her distracted so she didn't have time to think about it. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"I do?" Paige asked, surprised. "I mean, thank you, but I look like I got hit by a truck."

"Nah," Emily replied, leaning in to kiss her.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something," she continued, looking at Emily. "Caleb said you found my old Prozac in the medicine cabinet."

"I'm sorry, I was just-."

"You don't need to apologize, Em," she assured her. "Spencer suggested I go back on them. I have an appointment with Dr. Kingston tomorrow, and I was hoping you would come with me."

Emily nodded, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. She was relieved beyond words that Paige was getting help.

"Absolutely."

By the time they left it was dark and windy, a reminder that fall was here to stay. The two women hurried to their car, neither one dressed for such weather, failing to notice the figure lurking in the shadows by the restaurant.

"It's cold," Paige complained as she started the car. Emily nodded, shivering in the seat next to her. Paige looked at her, and Emily's stomach flipped with excitement as the lust she could see in her eyes. "I was thinking we could go back to my place."

"Yeah," Emily whispered, leaning in to kiss her. Paige kissed her back with passion, finally seeming like her old self again. Emily was relieved, not just for herself, but mostly because she hated seeing Paige in pain.

Once they started, they found it hard to stop. Emily was practically sitting in her lap, occasionally leaning on the horn as they made out. She could feel Paige's hands sliding under her blouse, and she didn't have the will power to stop her.

"Forget my place," she mumbled into Emily's mouth.

"Paige….. someone's gonna see."

"Who?" she asked. "No one's anywhere near us."

She was right. The parking lot was almost empty, and the nearest car was far enough away that they wouldn't be able to see them in the dark.

"Okay," she agreed, ripping her shirt off.

"Backseat," Paige replied, pulling Emily with her. Emily moaned as she felt Paige's hands under her skirt, rubbing her clit through her underwear. She would be lying if she said this wasn't exciting. She had never had sex in a car before, and she was too aroused to care about the possibility that someone could see them. What she didn't know was that someone was nearby, watching their every move.

"Paige," she gasped as Paige took a nipple into her mouth.

"I've missed this," she whispered, kissing the valley between Emily's breasts. Emily chuckled.

"Babe, it hasn't been that long."

"I mean feeling normal," she replied, looking up at her. Emily kissed her gently. "I love you, Emily."

"I love you, too," she replied, her eyes closing as Paige's fingers slipped inside of her.

"You're so beautiful," Paige whispered, watching Emily's expressions of pleasure. She hit her clit with each thrust, Emily's legs beginning to tremble as straddling her became more and more difficult.

It didn't take long for Emily to come, collapsing on top of Paige as she stroked her hair, leaving her fingers inside of her until she was finished. She looked at Paige, gasping for breath, a satisfied smile on her face.

"You are so good," she whispered, stretching out.

"Why, thank you."

"As soon as I get my energy back, it's your turn," Emily purred, capturing Paige's lips in a passionate kiss.

"Take your time," Paige replied, feeling relaxed at having Emily lying on top of her. This was exactly what she had needed, a worry free night with nothing but Emily. "I'm glad we went out tonight."

"Me, too," she agreed, gently touching her cheek. She slid her hand down between her legs, cupping her wet center. "You're soaked."

Paige groaned in response. Emily slid two fingers inside of her, watching as Paige let out a moan of relief, her eyes sliding closed.

When they were finished they lay there in the back of Paige's car, wordlessly running fingers through each other's hair. The parking lot was now empty except them, and while they both wanted to go home, neither one cold bring themselves to move.

"Tonight was perfect," Paige remarked softly. Emily smiled.

"I agree."

Suddenly, a car's headlights flashed, drawing her attention. She peered out of the window, frowning as she saw a car parked not too far from them, high beams on. They hadn't been there a moment ago. Besides, the restaurant was closed. Why would anyone show up now?

She could think of one person. The one who had been following Paige around.

"Paige," she hissed, keeping her sight on the car as she pulled her shirt back on. "We need to go."

"Emily?" Paige asked in alarm as she struggled to sit up, zippering her pants.

"There's a car out there that just showed up. The restaurant's closed."

"Fuck," Paige muttered, climbing back into the front seat and buckling herself in. She glanced next to them, seeing the same car that had followed her back from Emily's apartment a couple weeks ago. It was him. "God fucking damn it!"

"Shh. It's okay," Emily soothed, although her heart was pounding as Paige started the car. The car next to them started up, too.

"Call Toby," she instructed as she roared out of the parking lot. "Tell him we're being followed."

"What if he has a gun?" Emily asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"No," Paige replied, keeping an eye on the car in the rearview mirror as Emily called Toby. "If this is the same person who killed Alison, guns aren't his thing. He's far more personal."

"Toby? It's Emily," she started frantically. "We're being followed." She paused a moment. "Paige? Where are we?"

"River Road," she replied.

"We're on River Road. It's a black Honda."

"Hold on tight," Paige warned her, and turned suddenly, breathing a sigh of relief as the car flew down the other road. "I think we lost him."

"I think he's gone," Emily repeated. "Okay. We will. Should we try to get a license plate? Yeah. Thanks."

She hung up, her eyes glistening with tears. She was shaking, and Paige felt terrible.

"I'm scared."

"I know," she replied gently. "I am, too."

"Can I go back to your apartment with you?"

"Of course. Don't worry, Em. I'll keep you safe."

They drove back to Paige's apartment, making sure to lock the door once they were inside. She went looking for Caleb since he had the night off work, finding a note instead telling her he had gone to a bar with Hanna. She showed Emily the note, glad to see her smirk when she read it.

"I knew it," she replied, kicking off her shoes.

"You want to take a warm shower?" Paige asked, setting the note back down. The car following them has started to undo her nerves again, and she needed to relax.

"That sounds really good," Emily agreed. She followed Paige to the bathroom, where they undressed and waited for the water to grow warm before getting inside.

They stood under the water, holding each other as they both tried to settle down. It had been an insane past week to say the least, and they were both tired. Paige especially. She was partially looking forward to going back on her medication, although she would never admit it. But she was getting tired of feeling so panicked.

After their shower they went to Paige's bedroom and dressed in pajamas, getting ready for bed before snuggling together under the blankets. Paige found Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets just starting on TV, and Emily couldn't help but chuckle at how excited she got when she saw Dobby jumping on Harry's bed.

"I love this movie!" she exclaimed. She blushed. "Uh, I mean…. yeah. I'm a total dork."

"I think that's cute," Emily assured her, kissing the top of her head. "Besides, who doesn't love Harry Potter?"

"So we can watch it?" she asked hopefully. Emily smiled.

"I would love to," she replied, snuggling closer to her.

They watched in a comfortable silence for a little while, just enjoying being near each other. Paige actually seemed relaxed and Emily was feeling less afraid, too, although the whole thing was still nagging in the back of her mind. If this was the person who killed Alison, they were dangerous, and she was sure they wouldn't hesitate to do it again. But the thing that was really puzzling her was why someone would go after Paige and Alison. The only relationship they had was in the classroom, and from what Paige had told her it wasn't a very good one. Ian would have almost made sense since she had caught him hurting her, but now that he was ruled out, she had no idea what to think.

"Em?" Paige asked softly. Emily looked at her. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"What?" she asked in surprise. "Of course not. Why would you ask that?"

"Just….. because of everything, really. How messed up I've been, the fact that tomorrow I have to-."

"Stop," Emily cut in. "I don't think you're crazy. Not even a little."

Paige sighed with relief. Emily kissed her gently, sliding her arm around her.

"Do you want me to go with you tomorrow, Paige? You know, just sit in the waiting room so I'm there when you're done?"

"I would really like that," she replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

"Anything for you."

They were silent for a moment, watching the TV again. The mood had been lightened and this time when Paige turned to Emily she was grinning.

"I hope Caleb and Hanna go back to your apartment instead of here."

"I didn't even think of that," Emily replied, smiling herself. "I guess we deserve it, though."

"Well," Paige replied, pulling her in for a soft kiss. "We'll just have to drown them out."

* * *

><p>"Sydney," Paige called as she saw her walking down the hallway. She didn't teach classes on Thursday but was trying to catch up on her own research, but she wanted to apologize to her before their lecture the next day.<p>

"Hi, Dr. McCullers."

"Sydney, I am really, really sorry about yesterday. I…. I can't excuse my taking out my frustration on you, but I hope you know that it wasn't meant to be personal."

"I know," Sydney replied, smiling at her. "I need to learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. And I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," she assured her. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so," she replied. "I'll let you go. See you tomorrow."

Sydney waved to her and disappeared around the corner. She sighed with relief. That was one less thing she had to worry about. She turned to go back to her lab and came face to face with Ezra, almost screaming in surprise.

"Ezra! What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," he replied. He looked nervous.

"About what?"

"Can we go to your lab?"

"Sure."

He followed her to her lab, watching as she closed the door behind them. She folded her arms expectantly.

"Officer Cavanaugh called to talk to me. They basically implied that because of my, um, allegations about dating a student, they want to talk to me about Alison."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I guess they think I'm a criminal."

"Ezra….. you never hurt Aria. She's an adult. What you're doing isn't a crime."

"I know that and you know that. But they don't seem to agree."

"That's fucked up."

"I know."

"Has anyone ever seen you with Alison? Outside of class?"

"No! I don't talk to her outside of class!"

"Try not to worry," she told him. "If you're innocent, they won't be able to arrest you."

"If?" he asked, frowning.

"It's an expression, Ezra. You know I believe you."

He looked at her with such intensity that for a brief crazy moment she wondered if maybe he could have hurt Alison. No. That didn't make any sense.

"I could talk to Toby," she offered.

"No. Don't get involved."

"Okay. Well….. I'm here if you want to talk."

He just looked at her and left, closing the door behind him. She sighed, sitting down at one of the benches. She guessed he was upset the police were after him, and she really couldn't blame him. Having a consensual relationship with an adult was not worthy of being questioned about a brutal murder.

She gasped as her door flew open, Mona coming into the room.

"Jesus, Mona!"

"Sorry. I guess I should have knocked," she replied, sitting down across from her. "Feeling any better?"

"I guess. I'm going to see Dr. Kingston today so he can put me back on my anxiety meds."

"Good."

"How about you?"

"I'm okay," she replied. "I didn't really know her, so once I got over my initial shock I was okay. I feel really bad for you, though."

"I'm fine," she assured her.

"Did you see the news? It wasn't her boyfriend."

"I know. It doesn't make sense."

"Paige," she started gently. "I know you feel sorry for her, but from what I understand she had a lot of enemies. She wasn't a nice person."

"It doesn't mean she deserved to die."

"I know that, honey. But there are a lot of people in this world who don't react well when people hurt them. If you're nasty to the wrong person…"

"I get the point," she replied, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't come here to stress you out."

"I know," Paige replied, smiling at her. "I'm okay, Mona. Really."

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you came to see me, Paige," Dr. Kingston told her, offering her a gentle smile.<p>

"Thank you for seeing me."

"Of course. Are you feeling better from when this all happened?"

"I guess. But I keep having panic attacks."

"I want to tell you right away that your response is perfectly normal. You went through something horrifying, Paige, and I would be worried about you if you weren't panicked."

"Can you make the panic attacks stop?"

"According to your old records you were on Prozac, correct?"

"Yes."

"I'll put you back on that, then. It should definitely help, and I would recommend coming back here to talk."

"Okay," she agreed. "Thank you."

"Of course," he replied. "Now, why don't you start from the beginning?"

When she left his office with Emily she was definitely feeling better. She told that to Emily and didn't miss her relieved smile.

But that relief was quickly shattered. They got back to Paige's apartment and went up to the fourth floor, but when they stopped outside her door they found it was slightly open. Frowning, Paige looked at it, knowing she locked it before she had left. Sometimes Caleb forgot to lock it, but he wouldn't forget to close it.

"Stay here," Paige whispered, pushing the door open.

"Paige!"

"Caleb?" she called. "Are you here?"

No answer. She debated going in and looking around, but she decided that if someone was in there she didn't really want to come face to face with them. She beckoned for Emily to follow her back into the lobby, where they called the police and waited for them to show up.

They waited downstairs while Toby and his partner, Garrett Reynolds, searched their apartment for signs of robbery. Emily sat burrowed into Paige's side, holding her hand while they waited for news of what was going on.

"There's no sign of anyone," Toby reported when he and Garrett came downstairs. "Whoever it was is long gone. The bad news, though, is that I don't think it was a random break in. Nothing big seems to be missing. It was probably your guy."

"So, now what?" Paige asked, exasperated. "This guy knows how to get in to where I live. What do I do?"

"I'm sorry, Paige," he told her, and she knew he meant it. "I can't really help you."

She buried her face in her hands. She felt Emily rubbing her back soothingly.

"We don't even know who this guy is," Emily told Toby. "How can we protect ourselves?"

"My professional advice? Buy a gun and an alarm system."

"There aren't any fingerprints? Nothing?" Paige asked.

"Probably anything we find would belong to you or Caleb."

"Fuck me," she muttered, placing her face back in her hands.

"You're sure you've told me everything? There's no one you can think of who would want to hurt you?"

"I don't know," she whined. "Could it be Ian? Maybe he's angry that I encouraged Alison to get a restraining order?"

"It's very unlikely, but I can look into it. Call me if you think of anyone else."

"I will," she replied softly. She watched them leave, her vision blurred with tears. This was going too far and she had no idea how to stop it. She didn't know who would want to scare her like this and why they would break into her apartment. "Emily?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go back to your place for tonight?"

"Of course, honey," she replied gently, standing up. "Come on. I'll help you pack some things."

They went up to the apartment, Paige calling Caleb to explain what happened while she threw some clothes into a bag. She wanted to get away for a while, unnerved at the fact that this person was capable of getting inside her home. He could have touched her clothes. He could have sat on her bed. The thought made her want to throw up.

They got back to Emily's apartment and made their way to the bedroom. Paige sat down on the bed, sighing.

"What are we going to do, Em?"

"I wish I knew," she replied, sitting down next to her. "You know we're in this together, right? And I'm always here for you?"

"I know," she replied, smiling. "Thank you, love."

Emily smiled at the pet name, pulling Paige in for a hug. She felt so powerless, and she needed to get to the bottom of this, no matter how she had to do it.

"Hey, Em? I was thinking, since we have fall break next week, we can go see my parents in Maine. I'd love for them to meet you, and I think we need to get out of here for a while."

"Sounds good to me," Emily agreed. It wouldn't solve all their problems and it certainly wouldn't catch the guy following them around, but it would give them a much needed rest and maybe give them the strength they needed to figure out who was behind this.


	8. Chapter 8

"How far is it again?" Emily asked, stretching out in the passenger's seat. It was seven in the morning on a chilly mid October day, and she and Paige were headed to the McCullers' house in Caribou, Maine.

"A little over thirteen hours," Paige replied, her eyes on the road. "Hence staying in a hotel tonight."

"How far is that?"

"It's in New Hampshire," Paige replied, and Emily laughed.

"That's not what I asked, cutie."

"Oh," Paige replied, grinning. "Sorry. It's about seven and a half hours. We should get there around three, assuming traffic is good."

"I'm nervous about meeting your parents tomorrow."

"Don't be. They'll love you, Em," she assured her. "Especially since you're not Shana."

"They didn't like Shana?" she asked. Paige hardly ever mentioned Shana, and based on what Caleb had said, she didn't want to bring it up.

"No. She was a bitch. I just couldn't see it until it was too late."

"I'll be on my best behavior," Emily promised. Paige smiled.

"Trust me. They'll adore you, just like I do."

Emily smiled, leaning back in her seat. She actually felt calm today with the knowledge that they were going to be far away from Alison's killer and the person stalking Paige. They would have this day to themselves, and she was pretty excited about meeting Paige's parents tomorrow.

"Let's play a game," Emily suggested.

"Okay," Paige replied, rising her eyebrow. "What kind of game?"

"Two truths and a lie," Emily replied. "You know, one of those lame sleepover games."

"Okay. You start."

"Hmm. Let's see. I love to swim, I love pizza, and I got my nose pierced when I was thirteen behind my parents' back."

"The last one."

"Nope," Emily replied proudly. Paige's mouth dropped open.

"Emily Fields! You badass!"

"Thank you," Emily replied, grinning.

"What happened to it?"

"It got really infected and I had to close it up. I learned my lesson. So, which one is the lie?"

"Well, I know you love pizza. So by default, the swimming."

"Yup. I swam in high school and I got so tired of it."

"I did, too. I liked the softball better, though."

"Your turn."

"Hmm. Let's see. I love roasted peppers dipped in mustard, I peed myself during my eighth grade graduation, and I love the smell of garlic."

"I'm hoping the middle one."

"You and me both," Paige replied, and Emily burst out laughing.

"Paige!" Emily exclaimed. "That's horrible!"

"I had a bladder infection!" she protested. "Thank goodness I never saw half those kids again."

"Oh, Paige… you poor thing," she replied, wiping tears of laughter away. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she chuckled. "It's funny looking back. But yeah, the smell of garlic makes me want to puke."

"I'll have to remember that the next time I want garlic bread. Hmm… I'm scared of the dark, I hate rap music, and I don't like dogs."

"I know the dark part is true," Paige replied, grinning at her. Emily blushed, knowing she was referring to the times she practically ran back from the bathroom at night. "I'm going to say the dogs."

"Yup. I love dogs. But my apartment doesn't allow them."

"Same," Paige agreed.

"You're turn."

"Let's see. Christmas is my favorite holiday, I failed a class in college, and my ex-girlfriend who said she was a lesbian cheated on me with a fucking guy. A guy."

The tone of Paige's voice told her the last one was true. So, that was the story behind Shana. Emily was silent for a moment before leaning over and gently kissing the side of her face.

"I'm going to say you failing a class is a lie."

Paige nodded, and Emily knew she was grateful she hadn't commented on the last one. She had just wanted to get it out there, not talk about it.

"I love you," she added. Paige smiled.

"I love you too, Em."

A little after noon they stopped in a parking lot to eat the sandwiches and fruit they had packed in the cooler. They only had about two more hours of driving until they reached the Wentworth Marriott Hotel in New Castle, Hew Hampshire. They hit a slight traffic jam on the way, so it was closer to four by the time they arrived at the hotel.

"Not bad," Paige remarked as they got out of the car and got their bags. "Let's check in and have an early dinner. I'm starving."

"Driving makes you hungry, huh?" Emily teased. Paige grinned.

"Sure does."

They went into the hotel, a nice, cozy looking building, and checked into their room. They carried their bags up to the second floor, tossing them on the ground as they took a moment to look around. It was certainly nice, and Paige was looking forward to having a peaceful night's sleep without having to worry if someone was lurking around.

"This place is nice," she remarked. "I like it."

"You haven't stayed here before?" Emily asked, feeling the one large bed.

"No. Usually when I go see my parents I do the whole trip in one day. But I'm lazy today. Well, that and mostly I don't want to drive in the dark given recent events."

"I understand," Emily replied, and she did. She hated the dark when they weren't being followed. "It's cozy here."

"Sure is. But we'll enjoy the room later. I'm absolutely famished."

They went to the pizza place across the street where they polished off a medium pizza quickly, finally feeling full and content. Emily had never been in New Hampshire before and wanted to go for a walk after dinner to look at the town, something she wouldn't dare do if they were back home. But she felt safe here, hours and hours away from Alison's killer, and she wanted to take advantage of it.

So they took a short walk close by to the hotel, looking at some of the older houses and stopping inside some of the shops. Emily hadn't felt this relaxed in days, and based on the carefree smile on Paige's face, she hadn't, either.

The sun was setting and the wind was picking up by the time they decided to head back. They made their way up to the room, locking themselves in for the night and starting to get ready for bed.

"I want another shower," Paige announced, unbuttoning her plaid shirt. "Wanna join?"

"Of course," Emily replied, and she followed her into the bathroom.

They stood together under the warm water, letting themselves unwind from a long day in the car. Emily stood with her arms around Paige, her face buried in her shoulder, wondering how she had ever gotten along without her.

"Do you hear that?" Paige asked suddenly. Emily listened.

"What?"

"It sounds like someone's knocking."

"Who would be knocking? We don't know anyone here."

"Yeah," Paige replied, distracted as she stopped the water. They both stood in silence for a moment.

"Sweetie? We're safe here. You don't have to worry."

"You're right," she replied, reaching for a towel. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry, either."

Paige gave her a small smile, squeezing water out of her hair. Her cell phone began to ring in the other room and she hurried out of the bathroom to answer it, slightly afraid of who would be on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Paige, honey? It's Mom."

"Mom. Hi," she replied with relief. She gave Emily a thumbs up, who was looking worried in the bathroom doorway.

"Are you all settled at the hotel?"

"Yeah. We got here a little while ago."

"Good. Emily's with you?"

"Yes. I can't wait for you to meet her," she replied, giving her girlfriend a wink. Emily blushed.

"I'm sure we'll love her. Nick!" her mother reprimanded sharply to something her father had said in the background.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just tearing Shana apart again."

"Let him," she replied. "It all worked out for the better, anyway."

"As long as you're safe and happy, that's all that matters to me."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Which reminds me. How have you been feeling?"

"Better. It's nice to be away for a little."

"And you're back on your medication?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Honey, I know you don't like it, but I think it will help you. Especially after… after what happened."

"I know."

"I'll let you get some rest. I just wanted to make sure you were safe at the hotel."

"We're good, Mom. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Paige. I love you."

"I love you, too."

She ended the call, sitting down on the bed with a sigh.

"Everything okay?" Emily asked, unwrapping her towel. Paige looked at her, too distracted by her naked body to answer her question. "Paige?"

"Yeah. I just get jumpy when the phone rings now. It was just Mom checking that we're okay."

"We're okay," she repeated. She kissed Paige's bare shoulder, encouraging her to unwrap her towel. "We don't need to be afraid here."

"No," Paige agreed, letting Emily push her down on the bed. She watched as Emily straddled her, beads of water from their shower sliding down her tan skin as she leaned forward to kiss her. Paige pulled her in closer, needing to feel her.

"Relax for me," Emily whispered, rubbing her wet center onto Paige's stomach. Paige gasped, her own arousal increasing. "What we both need is a good night's sleep. And I know how to get that for us."

"Mmm," Paige moaned as Emily began to suck on her nipple. She closed her eyes, letting herself relax as Emily gave each of her breasts equal attention. But she always knew when to move on, and sure enough she began kissing her way down Paige's stomach, stopping just where she was needed most. Paige moaned impatiently, trying to push herself up to meet Emily's mouth. But Emily just grinned, peering up at her.

"Tell me how much you want me."

"Unf," Paige replied, struggling to find words as she watched Emily's face so close to her center. "I want….. I really, really want you. Please."

"You do," she confirmed, dragging a finger through Paige's wet folds. "Tell me what you want."

Emily knew exactly what she wanted. But she wanted to hear her say it first, watching triumphantly as Paige struggled to find the words.

"I want your m-mouth on me," she blurted, squirming. "Em, please."

She didn't waste another second before licking up Paige's wet slit, earning herself a relieved gasp. She repeated a few times before slipping her tongue inside of her, Paige crying out in pleasure above her.

"Fuck!" she groaned, gripping the bed sheets as Emily thrust inside of her. "Holy fuck that feels good."

She slid her tongue out of her, licking her taste from around her mouth, Paige's protesting immediately ceasing as Emily's mouth latched onto her clit, her fingers sliding inside of her as a replacement. It was time to stop playing around and give her what she wanted.

"Don't stop!" she shouted, not caring if the entire hotel could hear her. "Em... don't stop."

She didn't. She kept working until Paige gave a loud shout of pleasure and came hard, trapping Emily's fingers inside of her. Emily brought her down gently, moving up to kiss her lips softly as she kept her fingers moving gently inside of her.

"You're beautiful," she whispered as Paige panted in satisfaction. "And I love you so, so much."

"I….. I love you, too," she replied, still somewhat breathless, as she leaned in for another kiss. "That was exactly what I needed."

"I thought so," Emily agreed smugly, starting to thrust her fingers inside of her harder. Paige gasped, still not recovered from her first orgasm, moving her hips frantically with Emily's thrusts. "How does that feel?" she cooed, pleased when Paige couldn't answer. It didn't take her long to come again, this time even more exhausted than before. Emily withdrew her fingers, licking them clean as Paige watched her through hooded eyes. "Someone looks tired."

"Mm hmm," she agreed sleepily. "But I'm not going to sleep until you have a turn."

"Paige, it's okay," she replied. "You needed this."

"Come here," Paige replied stubbornly, pulling Emily towards her. When she realized what Paige was telling her to do she couldn't protest and eagerly swung her other leg over so she was straddling her face, gripping the headboard as she felt Paige's tongue on her swollen clit.

She was already extremely aroused from watching Paige's pleasure, and it didn't take her long at all to come. They were both exhausted by that point and Emily managed to collapse next to Paige, burrowing under the covers with her.

"You're so good," Paige mumbled, struggling to keep her eyes open. Emily smiled and kissed her gently.

"So are you. I think we'll both sleep pretty well tonight."

"Mmm," Paige agreed, her eyes sliding closed. She slid her arm around Emily, and less than a minute after that her breathing had become soft and even. Emily smiled to herself, glad that her plan had worked and her girlfriend would finally have a good night's rest. She was pretty tired herself, and it didn't take much of listening to Paige's sleep breathing before she drifted off with her.

**A/N: Hope you're all still enjoying the story! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Almost there," Paige promised, more to herself than Emily. The dark clouds above them were threatening a downpour, and she wanted to reach her parents' house before that happened. They had left the hotel on the early side and made good time, and they would be reaching the house around noon.

"Good. I have to pee," Emily replied. She smirked. "I don't want to be like you at your graduation."

"Hey!" Paige exclaimed, although she was smiling. "Don't you dare tell Hanna about that. You're the only person I've ever told."

"Really?"

"Yup. And I plan to keep it that way," she replied, peering upward. "Fuck. Was that lightning?"

"It's October," Emily replied, frowning.

"I know. It storms here until November."

"You don't like thunderstorms, I take it?"

"Not at all. But here's my street," she replied, and Emily could hear the relief in her voice.

Emily's mouth dropped open when she saw the house. It was an old colonial house, one of the big fancy ones, and it was beautiful. She couldn't wait to see what it looked like inside.

"Wow," she remarked, and Paige chuckled.

"Yeah, it's a nice house. I do miss it."

"I'm nervous," she announced suddenly, remembering that she was going to meet Paige's parents.

"Don't be," she replied as they got out of the car. "Just relax."

They got their bags and went up to the door. Paige knocked, and a woman who looked considerably like her answered the door, throwing her arms around her.

"Paige, sweetheart, it's so good to see you. I'm so glad you could come home at a time like this."

"Me, too," she agreed, pulling Emily closer to her. "Mom, this is Emily."

"Emily. I've heard a lot about you," she replied, giving her a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"And you, Mrs. McCullers."

"Please, call me Liz. Why don't you go put your bags upstairs and come back down for lunch? It's almost ready."

"Thanks, Mom," Paige replied, leading Emily up the stairs. "Wait until you see my childhood room."

"It's beautiful," Emily remarked once they were inside. "You must love it."

"I do. It's nice still being able to sleep in here every once in a while," she replied, setting the bags down on the floor. "Come on, let's go see Dad."

Emily nervously followed her back downstairs to the kitchen, where a man was reading a newspaper at the table. He smiled when he saw them, standing up to give his daughter a hug and shake Emily's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Emily."

"You too, sir," she replied, and Paige stifled a laugh at Emily's sudden nerves. Her father chuckled.

"She has manners," he remarked, and Emily blushed. "You can call me Nick. We want you to feel welcome here."

"Thank you," she replied, visibly relaxing.

The day went well. They talked about Paige's work and Emily's background, which both of her parents seemed genuinely interested to hear. The subject of what had happened back in Pennsylvania was avoided, something both women were grateful for, and it ended up being a relaxing day. Emily really liked Paige's parents, and they seemed to really like her. Paige's father told her more than once how he liked her far better than "that last one." Paige seemed happy too, beaming proudly when they told her Emily was a smart, sweet girl. Paige's father was especially impressed to hear that she swam in high school, which prompted Paige to catch Emily's attention and roll her eyes, but she was glad everyone was getting along so well.

After dinner Emily went to shower first, while Paige helped her parents downstairs. She thanked them for being so friendly to Emily, and her father, who initially had been stunned when she had come out in high school, spoke especially highly of her. At that moment, for the time being at least, she felt as if she didn't have anything to worry about.

When Paige went to shower after Emily, Emily stayed downstairs with Paige's parents. Paige's mother loved to talk, telling her more than Paige would probably want her to, but at the same time she liked hearing what she had to say.

"I'm really glad to see her so happy," she told Emily. "She's had a lot of tough breaks. She had a pretty rough time in high school. You know how cruel kids can be."

"Yeah. She told me."

"Then of course there was Shana. I don't know if you can tell, but we never liked her."

"I haven't met anyone yet who has," she replied, and Paige's mother chuckled.

"She wasn't close to being good enough for my daughter. She never took her into consideration, ever. But you know, Paige always thinks of other people. Always tries to see the good in them."

"I know," Emily replied, thinking of how upset she was about Alison.

"I have to ask. Is she okay? After everything that's happened?"

"I think she is," she replied honestly. "She's been talking to me and a psychiatrist, and she seems a lot better from when it first happened."

"Good," her mother replied, looking relieved. "Thank you for being here for her."

"Of course," Emily told her. "I love her very much, Mrs. Mc… I mean, Liz. I want to help her." Paige's mother smiled at her.

"I know you do."

Later that night, she and Paige were settled into Paige's childhood room, tired from the trip and just the overall events they had been dealing with. Paige was reading as Emily was lying next to her with her eyes closed, relaxing.

"Babe? Can you get that?" Paige asked as her phone buzzed on the table. Emily handed the phone to her, one eye open as she watched her read the message. The look on her face was unnerving and she immediately sat up, worried.

"Paige? What does it say?"

"It…. it says 'I'm a little hurt you didn't tell me you were going to Maine. Your parents have a beautiful house.'" They looked at each other, eyes wide with fear. The stalker knew they were here. "Un fucking believable," Paige snapped, throwing her phone on the bed as she got up. "I should have known. Of course we couldn't have a couple fucking days of peace."

"Paige, it's okay."

"Okay? How is this okay? We're being followed around by a psycho, Emily. Someone who probably mutilated a girl's body and threw her in a dumpster. This isn't just someone playing a cute game. This is someone who cares enough to follow us to Maine and probably wants to hurt us."

"What do we do?" Emily asked, exasperated. "Call the police?"

"What would be the point? We don't know who this is. The cops here probably don't even know our case. If this shit wants to hurt us, he's going to do everything he can to do it."

"Paige, honey, you need to calm down," she told her gently, standing up. "I know you're scared. I am, too. But the more afraid you let yourself get, the more panicked you are, the easier it's going to be for him."

She was right. Paige sat back down, closing her eyes as she covered her face with her hands.

"I don't get it. What have I ever done to anyone? Who would be doing this? What connection do I have to Alison?"

"We don't know for sure it's the same person."

"We do," Paige replied. "We do. I can't take this anymore, Em."

"I need you to promise me something, Paige," she told her, curling up next to her.

"What?" she asked grumpily.

"No matter how scary this is, you have to promise me-."

"I'm not going to hurt myself, Em," she replied, realizing what Emily was getting at. She sighed with relief.

"Okay. Good."

"I'm just frustrated. I feel so helpless."

"I know," she sighed. "I do, too."

"When we get back, I'm going to do everything I can to find out who this is."

"I'm helping," Emily replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. Paige sighed.

"Emily-."

"No arguments," she replied, kissing her. "I want this to stop as much as you do. And two heads are better than one."

Paige thought for a minute. She was right, and there was no way she would be able to stop her if she wanted to help.

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll talk to Toby first. See if he has any ideas. Then we'll go from there."

**A/N: I know this is a shorter chapter, and again I should be able to post another one later tonight. Keep an eye out for it just in case it doesn't go to the top of the list like last time. Thanks for all the great feedback!**


	10. Chapter 10

Monday morning it was back to work, Emily and Paige stopping for a brief coffee date before heading their separate ways with plans to meet at Emily's apartment later. She was supposed to talk to Toby, and Paige was planning on doing some sleuthing herself, although she hadn't thought it through yet. But she was tired of being followed, tired of being scared, and she needed to put an end to it before her stalker did.

"Paige! How was Maine?" Mona asked as she passed her office. She poked her head in, laughing at the disaster on Mona's desk.

"Not bad," she replied, deciding not to tell her about the stalker part. "How was your break?"

"Not bad. Got a lot of well needed rest."

"I hear you," she replied.

"And Emily?" she asked with a wink. Paige grinned.

"She's good. In more ways than one."

Mona whistled. Paige shook her head, laughing.

"I gotta go, Mona. I'll see you later."

"Give my best to the lady," she replied as Paige walked past her office. As she was fishing for her keys she was startled by someone tapping her shoulder, her breath catching in her throat as she turned to see who it was.

"Aria."

"Dr. McCullers, I need to talk to you," Aria told her, shifting uncomfortably.

"Okay. What's wrong?"

"I was hoping we could talk in your lab. It's about Ezra and the police."

"Oh," she replied, wondering what she meant by that. "Sure."

As she slid the key into the door she suddenly had a strange feeling about what she was going to find inside her lab. She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly was overcome by a wave of fear and she wanted nothing more than to just walk away.

She pushed the door open and flipped the light on. Aria gasped beside her as she took in the sight in front of her, her mouth dropping open in surprise. Every single stool was lying on its side, ripped up paper covering the floor and the benches. Petri dishes were scattered all over the floor, pipettes and inoculating loops strewn on the counters. Dyes had been emptied all over the lab, their empty bottles tossed carelessly on the floor. And on the white board, written in red marker, read the word "Whore," over and over again.

"Aria," she started, her voice calm. "How would you like to spread the word that every student of mine will be meeting in the lobby in ten minutes?"

"Uh," she whispered, looking around the trashed room. "Okay."

She watched as Aria scurried down the hall, leaving her alone in the lab. She looked around again, far more angry than scared, as she formed an idea in her head. This seemed more like an angry student than the guy who had been following her around. It was probably someone who wasn't happy with their grade. She would use fear to get the culprit to confess. She was confident by the end of the day she could find out who had done this and at least get this out of the way.

She went down to the lobby ten minutes later, seeing a large group of her students anxiously standing around. She folded her arms, giving them a cold smile.

"Nice to see you all here," she told them coolly. "Do you know why I asked you to meet me here?" No one spoke. "Well, why don't you take a trip upstairs with me and I'll show you?"

"Are we in trouble?" Lucas Gottesman asked.

"You tell me," she replied, and he gave her such a blank look that she could tell right away it wasn't him. Lucas was such a sweet, quiet kid, and he had a high A in the class. He would have no reason to do this.

She led them upstairs to her lab, pushing the door open and letting them filter into the room. She could hear their gasps and whispers as she pushed past them to stand at the front of the room, standing in front of the whiteboard.

"So," she started. "This is why I called you all here. Someone vandalized my lab, and I would like to know who it was."

"How do you know it was one of us?" Darren asked. Paige gave him a thunderous look.

"Tell me why you think it wasn't one of you," she snapped at him. "You think a random English major just decided to trash my lab? I find that highly unlikely."

No one spoke. She looked at them, trying to read guilt. But no one offered anything.

"Okay. So this is the way it's going to be. I'll tell you what right now. I will find out which one of you did this, no matter what it takes. If you confess, I won't press charges. But if I have to figure it out myself, you can bet I will. And that will ruin any hopes you have of graduate school. Is that clear?"

The students all stared at her. She took out her cell phone.

"I'm going to call the police right now. Would anyone like to come forward?"

No answer. She shrugged and dialed the local police station.

* * *

><p>"I really shouldn't be doing this," Toby told Emily nervously, looking over his shoulder. The two of them had met for lunch so she could talk to him about the case and hopefully get an idea as to who could be stalking her girlfriend. "I could get in trouble."<p>

"No one's going to find out," she promised. "Please. I'm really afraid her life might be in danger."

"Okay. But there isn't really much I can tell you."

"I'll take anything you can give me," she replied.

"Well, we think the two are connected. But Paige can't think of anyone that had a link with her and Alison. Whoever did it knew her, because it was too brutal to have been random. This person had a personal relationship with her."

"How does Paige fit in?"

"That's what we're not sure of. But it probably is someone who knows her, because most stalking cases aren't random."

"I'm scared," Emily admitted. "I don't know how to help her."

Toby smiled gently at her, taking a bite of his sandwich. Emily looked so concerned, and he wished her had something to put her mind at ease.

"I've known Paige a while, and she isn't usually this much trouble. While it's too bad you had to get mixed up in all of this, you've been really good for her. She's needed someone like you."

"I'm not going to run because things are tough, if that's what you're getting at," she assured him. He looked relieved.

"I didn't think you would. I just don't think she could handle that, too."

"I love her," Emily replied. "So, so much. I'll always be there for her, no matter how hard things get."

"Good. I wish I had more to tell you."

"Yeah," she replied, nodding. "We need to get to the bottom of this. If this guy can do what he did to Alison….." She trailed off. No. She wouldn't let that happen.

"We'll figure this out, Emily," he promised.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No. Don't meddle, Emily. The last thing you want is this guy thinking you know something."

She nodded. He was right.

"Thanks," she told him. "Please, tell us if you think you know something."

"I will," he promised. "You two stay safe."

* * *

><p>"Hey. I came to say good night," Mona started, stopping in the doorway of Paige's lab. She had cancelled her classes and spent all day cleaning up once she had filed a police report. Almost everything was destroyed and she was in a foul mood. She just wanted to go to Emily's and forget about everything else.<p>

"What time is it?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

"It's late, sweetie. It's almost nine."

"Fuck!" She exclaimed, jumping up. She was supposed to be at Emily's by nine-fifteen, and she had completely lost track of time. The last time she had looked at her cell phone, it had only been seven. "Where's my fucking phone?" she asked, digging around in her bag.

"I can stay and help," Mona offered.

"No," she sighed, exasperated. "The rest will have to wait until tomorrow. I need to leave."

"Who do you think is doing all of this?"

"The hell if I know," she replied, texting Emily that she might be a little late. "I guess a student who isn't happy with their grade. When I find out who did it they're going to be very sorry."

"I don't want to leave you here alone," Mona replied, looking uncomfortable.

"Mona, I'll be fine. I'll leave soon."

She hesitated a moment, looking at her friend. Then she nodded and walked away.

"Piece of shit phone," Paige muttered as her message failed to send. She tried to call Emily instead, growing even more angry when the call wouldn't go through. "Fuck!" she exclaimed, throwing the phone back into her bag. Emily was going to be frantic when she was late, and there wasn't anything she could do about it as long as her phone wasn't sending messages.

She looked around her lab, panic starting to overtake her, as she looked at how much still needed to be done. This was definitely more than a day's work if she wanted to get to Emily's house. She could hold her lectures tomorrow as long as she spent the rest of the day cleaning.

She left the science building in a bad mood, scowling her whole way to the car. The day had been awful and she couldn't wait to hold Emily in her arms and finally relax. The nice time she had had with her parents had been completely undone by the day's events, and she was just tired. She was tired of being stalked, tired of being scared, and tired of people messing with her. She put a lot of work into her lab, and she was going to make sure the person who vandalized it was punished harshly. She hadn't thought any of her students had disliked her so much, but apparently she had been wrong.

She tried again to call Emily on her way to the car. It was past nine now and Emily was going to be frantic if she didn't show up on time. But this call didn't go through either, so there was nothing for her to do but curse and throw her phone back in her back.

Giving the car a once over before getting inside, she checked to make sure no one was hiding in the back before she started to Emily's. Every horror story she had ever read about serial killers hiding in peoples' cars came back to her as she slid into the driver's seat, realizing her hands were shaking. She took a deep breath and slid to the key into the ignition, but to her horror, the car didn't start.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she shouted. She tried again with still no success. She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, tears of anger and fear welling in her eyes. It was typical with how the day had gone, but she wasn't happy about the fact that she was stranded alone in the dark with no phone. She started to panic again, half debating walking back to the science building to use the phone. "Please," she whispered, ready to try to car. "Please, just start."

Thankfully, the car started, and she nearly started to cry with relief. She was late and Emily was probably going to yell at her, but she didn't even care. She could finally leave.

"Piece of shit car," she muttered under her breath as she released the break and roared away, straight past the car with the man that had been watching her from the shadows the whole time.

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

Emily paced back and forth, waiting for Paige to get to her apartment. She was twenty minutes late and hadn't called or anything. Twenty minutes may not have seemed like anything to worry about under normal circumstances, but she was terrified something had happened to her. She knew she was overreacting but she was past the point of caring, and she had decided to give Paige another five minutes before she called Toby.

She looked outside again, hoping to see Paige's car coming down the street. Nothing. She checked her phone. Nothing there either. This wasn't like her not to call and she was terrified. She wanted nothing more than to hold Paige in her arms and kiss her, feeling her warmth against her own.

"Please, Paige," she whispered. "Where are you?"

Almost immediately after there was a knock on the door. She ran to it and threw it open, crying out in relief when she saw Paige standing there. She pulled her inside and hugged her so tight she could barely breathe, burying her face in Paige's shoulder.

"Paige, I was so worried," she blurted. "Where the hell were you? Why didn't you call? I was almost ready to send Toby out you scared-."

"I'm sorry," she cut in, her eyes filled with tears. "Please don't yell at me. I've had an absolutely awful day and I just want to sit and cry."

"Hey," she replied gently, her heart rate finally calming down. "What happened?"

"I don't know where to start," she replied sadly. "I did try to text. And call. Something's wrong with my phone and no messages are going through. I knew you were going to be worried, but there was really nothing I could do. I guess I have to go get my phone looked at tomorrow."

"I'm really glad you're here," Emily offered, stroking her arm.

"I am, too," she replied. "How about we get settled in your room and I'll tell you everything?"

"Okay," Emily agreed. "I'll make some tea."

She caught Paige's small smile as she went to Emily's room to change. Her new thing was to make tea whenever Paige was upset, and even though she chuckled about it, she believed it helped.

She carried the two mugs to the bedroom, where Paige was sprawled on the bed in her pajamas. Emily placed the mugs on the table and laid down next to her, brushing her hair back.

"Tell me what happened, baby."

"Remember how you texted me asking how my day was going? And I said busy?"

"Yes."

"Someone completely trashed my lab," she continued, and Emily's mouth dropped open. "I'm talking contents dumped all over the place, ripped paper covering the floor, stools upside down. Oh, and the word 'whore' written over and over on the white board."

"Paige," she whispered, pulling her in close. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me? I could have come to help you."

"Em, you're certainly busy with your own things. I just spent the day cleaning up. I have to reorder almost all of my supplies. The university is covering it, at least."

"You don't know who did it?"

"No, but I'm guessing it was a student. Who else would be pissed enough at me to do that?"

"Your stalker?"

"That doesn't seem like a stalker move, though. That seems like an angry student who doesn't like me or their grade."

"I guess," Emily replied, frowning. "Did you call the police?"

"Of course. There wasn't really anything they could do, though. And then I lost track of time and when I tried to get in touch with you my phone wouldn't work. My car was even acting up. It took me three tries to get it started."

"Oh, Paige."

"Today has just been one of those weird days," she replied, shrugging. "I just needed to be with you."

"I'm right here," she assured her, gently kissing her forehead. "I'm really sorry. I had no idea."

"It's okay. It's over and done with now. I got enough done that I can hold my lectures tomorrow." She paused a moment, looking at her girlfriend. There was something that was nagging her, but she didn't know if she wanted to talk about it out loud.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Just hold me," she replied, burying her face in Emily's sweatshirt. Emily rubbed her back soothingly.

"I was really worried about you. I was overreacting, but with everything that's been happening…."

"I'm really sorry. I'll take my phone to Verizon tomorrow and see what they have to say."

"Maybe you should get mace or something," she suggested, and Paige chuckled. "I wasn't kidding."

"I know you weren't."

"I'm serious, Paige. I talked to Toby today and he didn't have anything useful. They have no idea who killed Alison."

"You know Ezra, right?"

"Yeah. I've seen him at the English department meetings."

"He's being questioned for Alison's murder. Because he has a thing with one of his students."

"What?" Emily asked, her eyes widening.

"Oh, Em. You're so innocent," Paige told her, leaning in to kiss her. "Yup. I have his girlfriend in one of my classes. Anyway, their logic is that if he can have an inappropriate relationship with a student, he could kill a girl, too."

"That's stupid."

"I thought so, too. But when he came to talk to me about it, there was something I said that wasn't worded to his liking. He got kind of weird on me. Today before I found my lab in shambles his girlfriend asked if she could talk to me about him. I never did hear what she had to say."

"So…. are you saying maybe Ezra killed Alison?"

"I don't know what I'm saying," she replied, frustrated. "All I know is I'm really sick of being fucked with and I need to find out who's doing all of this."

"We will," she assured her.

"How? I seriously can't come up with anyone who hates me that much."

"Shana?"

"Shana doesn't hate me. I hate her. Besides, she and Nate are living in Virginia, the last I heard."

"How mad was Ezra at you?"

"I don't think mad enough to destroy my lab. And remember, this all started before Alison was even killed. I don't know who could possibly be interested in stalking me and murdering her."

"The answer is probably right in front of us," Emily replied, and Paige nodded in agreement. "But, stressing about it all night isn't going to do anyone any good. You know what I think you need?"

"What?"

"A massage," Emily replied, kissing her lips softly. "Take your shirt off."

"Yes, ma'am," Paige replied eagerly, unbuttoning her pajama shirt. Emily chuckled as she got up to get her spice scented lotion from the dresser, settling herself on the bed as Paige laid face down, propping her head on her arms. "You spoil me."

"It's the least I can do," she replied, beginning to rub lotion onto Paige's back. "I feel so bad."

"Don't. Like you said, we should just talk about other things. I've had enough mystery for tonight."

"Fair enough," Emily agreed. "I have some ideas to better occupy your time."

"Oh?" Paige replied innocently, smirking. "What, may I ask?"

"You'll see," Emily replied slyly. Paige turned her head, curious.

"Em, tell me."

"Patience, Paige. Enjoy your massage."

Paige did as she was told, letting herself relax under Emily's touch. She was feeling much better by the time Emily climbed off her, making her way over to her drawer.

"Em?"

"It's a surprise. Stop asking questions," she replied, opening the drawer. Paige's eyes widened.

"Oh," she whispered as she saw the light purple vibrator Emily had pulled out of the drawer. She carried it back to the bed, sitting down.

"Never been used. Hanna got it for me for my birthday," she explained, and Paige laughed.

"Of course she did."

"So, I was hoping we could use it. Unless it's not your thing."

"Don't worry. It's my thing," she replied, eyeing the toy in Emily's hands. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten to use one, especially since Caleb had gone on one of his "cleaning" sprees and dumped an entire drawer full of her belongings into a garbage bag.

"Good," she replied. "Then, I'm going to ask you to lie back and relax. You more than deserve this night being all about you."

"Uh," Paige replied as Emily pushed her back. She wasn't used to just receiving, but her time with Emily certainly made her far more submissive than she had ever been with Shana. She moaned as Emily rubbed her fingers through her wet center, slipping inside briefly.

"I love you, Paige," she told her, leaning in to kiss her. She rubbed circles on her clit, moving to play with each of her breasts. "I want to make you happy. I want you to feel safe."

"You do," she whispered, running her fingers through Emily's hair. "I love you too, Emily. More than anything."

"Shh," Emily instructed. "Just relax."

She took her time, rubbing Paige's clit lightly but not giving her enough to get her off. She slid her fingers inside of her, giving her something to clench around but refusing to move, much to Paige's frustration.

"How does that feel?" she cooed as she moved her fingers painfully slow. Paige moaned. "Try to relax, baby."

Paige whined in protest when she withdrew her fingers but immediately calmed when she heard the soft whir of the toy. Emily smiled at her gently, settling herself between her girlfriend's legs.

"Have I ever left you unsatisfied?" she asked. Paige shook her head. "Exactly. So I want you to enjoy this, okay?"

"Uh huh," she panted as Emily held the toy close to her entrance. "Em, please."

"Okay, okay," she chuckled, slowly sliding the vibrator inside of her. Paige cried out, falling back against the pillows as her walls clenched hard around it. Emily had done a tortuously good job of teasing her, and every slight movement felt extremely pleasurable.

"Holy shit," she gasped. "Move….. please, move!"

Emily did as she was told, deciding she had made Paige wait long enough. And seeing her reaction was almost as enjoyable as knowing that she was the one giving her such pleasure.

"Faster!" Paige directed loudly, her hips moving frantically. "Oh, God, please don't stop."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Emily whispered in her ear.

Paige's cries filled the room and possibly their whole half of the floor. But Emily never faltered, giving her everything she asked for until she was nearly screaming out in pleasure, trembling as her orgasm exploded inside of her. She grabbed Emily's free hand with her own, clenching it as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. It felt like minutes to her before she finally began to calm down, her cries becoming slight whimpers. Emily brought her down gently, kissing all over her face as Paige lay under her, panting.

"Holy…. oh… fuck," she gasped, and Emily chuckled as she pulled back to look at her.

"Someone seems satisfied."

"That….." She trailed off, another moan escaping her lips.

"Take your time," she replied, giving her another kiss. "Feel better?"

She nodded. Emily grinned, her hand still on the toy.

"Again?" she asked, and she wasn't surprised when Paige nodded eagerly.

When they were finished Emily helped Paige under the covers and snuggled next to her, stroking her bare chest as Paige looked at her through half closed eyes.

"Em," she murmured. "Your turn."

"Don't be silly," she replied. "You'll fall asleep."

"Will not," Paige tried to insist, followed by a loud yawn. Emily grinned.

"Exactly. Tonight was about you, Paige. Get some sleep. You can pay me back tomorrow."

"Mmm," Paige replied sleepily, burrowing into Emily's side. Emily stroked her head gently, listening as her breathing evened out. She felt terrible about all Paige was going through, and she wanted to do anything she could to help, even if it was just making sure she got a good night's sleep at night. She held her hand as she slept, silently vowing that no matter what, she would help get to the bottom of this and help get Paige's life back to normal.

**A/N: Thanks again for all your great feedback. I'm glad you're liking the story so much and I hope it continues to interest you. Definitely don't be afraid to let me know what you think. Classes start back up Tuesday but I think I should still be able to update fairly regularly. I definitely won't forget about the story, so don't worry. Enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 12

"No one has the answer?" Paige asked, looking at her silent Tuesday morning class. After her classes it was back to cleaning her lab, and she was in just as foul a mood as she had been in the day before. The class could sense it and everyone had been unusually quiet, no one offering to answer any questions. She partially felt bad, because she guessed probably only one person was responsible, but she was also too fed up to waste time on guilt. "Interesting. I guess you didn't understand the lesson today. Anyone want to tell me otherwise?"

Still no one answered. Darren looked at her quietly while Sydney pretended to be writing in her notebook. Aria chewed quietly on her nails.

"Okay," she replied. "Then you can read the chapter and tomorrow at the beginning of the lab we'll have a quiz."

That got their attention, and immediately everyone was protesting. She knew she was being nasty and taking her frustration out on her students, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Starting with Alison's death she hadn't had a day without heartache and fear and she was tired of it. No matter how pathetic it sounded, her students were the one thing she felt she could somewhat control.

"You can't do that!"

"There's not enough time!"

"It's thirty pages long!"

"I have a game tonight!"

"Quiet!" she snapped. "That isn't my problem. You were the ones who chose not to pay attention."

"You've been a real bitch lately," Lucas cut in, and everyone turned to stare at him. He was always the quiet kid who did what he was supposed to, and he never mouthed off to teachers.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, you've been a real bitch lately," he repeated loudly. "I'm sorry about Alison. I'm sorry about your lab. But with the way you've been acting maybe someone thought you deserved it."

She stared at him, her eyes brimming with tears. His words hurt, especially because they were true.

"That's enough," she told him softly. "Or you can take zero."

He didn't respond to that. She swallowed hard, desperately trying to fight tears as she began to erase the whiteboard.

"Class dismissed."

The students all left quickly, leaving her alone in the room. She sank down at the desk and buried her face in her hands, refusing to give in to the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She took a deep breath instead, trying to calm herself the way Dr. Kingston had suggested. He assured her over and over again that nothing was wrong with her, that her behavior was common for someone going through what she was going through. But the people around her didn't seem to understand that, and she was terrified that eventually Emily was going to feel like them and leave her. Emily had been her rock through this entire ideal, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen to her if she did leave. At that thought she couldn't hold back her tears any longer and let out a choked sob, the pain and fear she was feeling overwhelming her.

She stayed that way for a while, grateful the hall was empty and not many people were ever around this section of the building. She was busy feeling sorry for herself and wishing she had never met Alison DiLaurentis, wishing she had never seen her with Ian in the first place. That was the moment she had gotten emotionally invested, and she hadn't been able to do her any good anyway. And now someone hated her, just like they had hated Alison, and she was terrified.

"Dr. McCullers?"

She jumped, looking up to see Darren standing in the doorway. She sniffed, quickly wiping her eyes as she tried to make it look like she had been doing something other than crying.

"What, Darren?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Not everyone feels that way. What Lucas said. I know I don't."

"Why not? He's right," she replied, standing up. "I have been a bitch, and nothing that's happened is an excuse. He's right. I did deserve…." She trailed off, realizing exactly what Lucas had said. He had suggested she had deserved it. Did that mean anything?

"That's what I came to tell you," Darren replied. "I think he might have trashed your lab."

"What makes you say that?" she asked, considering the possibility. She just didn't understand it. Lucas was such a nice, quiet boy.

"He's been complaining a lot about you yelling at us lately," he replied, and she looked down. Maybe she did deserve to have her lab trashed. "And I saw him around there Sunday night."

"Sunday night?"

"Yeah. There's a chem study group in the chemistry library."

"I see," she replied. "Did he… did he say anything to you?"

He shrugged, inching closer to her. She took a step back.

"Just that you've been really bitchy lately and someone was going to give you what you deserve."

"He said that?"

"Yup. Aria heard it too if you don't believe me."

"No… no, I do," she replied, taking a deep breath. "I just don't want to."

"I'm sorry," he offered. She gave him a sad smile.

"Thank you for telling me."

"Of course," he replied, locking eyes with her. She swallowed hard. "He needs to be punished, doing something like that."

"I'll talk to him," she replied, looking anywhere but Darren. "If I can get him to confess, we'll go from there."

"If there's anything I can do to help," he replied, his hand brushing up against hers. She jerked back as if she had been burned, gathering up her papers as fast as she could.

"Thank you, Darren. But I really need to go."

She pushed past him and hurried down the hall, glancing back to see if he was following her. He wasn't, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she started up the stairs to her lab. As she walked past the chemistry library she saw Lucas inside, studying, so she poked her head inside and cleared her throat loudly.

"I need to speak with you. In my lab."

"I'm busy."

"I don't care. I need to speak with you."

Rolling his eyes he got up and followed her down the hall. She unlocked the door to her lab and let him in, flipping the light on. It was mostly clean compared to yesterday, but she would still have to stay late to finish up. She beckoned for him to sit, standing next to him with her arms folded.

"I got an anonymous tip that you were by my lab Sunday night."

"I was at my chemistry study group. I am every Sunday night."

"Really?" she asked, giving him a stern look. "Did you tell someone that I was being bitchy and I was going to get what I deserved?"

He gulped. She sneered at him.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I-I don't remember exactly what I said."

"Uh huh. Well, I have reason to believe that you were the one who trashed my lab."

"What? No!"

"Why should I believe you? Your outburst in class, your lurking around the lab, telling others I'm going to get what I deserve. It doesn't look very good."

He didn't answer. She pulled out her cell phone.

"You're sure you don't want to confess?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Then who did?"

"How the fuck should I know?" he snarled, standing up. She jumped back. "Anyone could have done it. You do deserve it. And how dare you accuse me of something like that with no evidence!"

"It's not with no evi-."

"If you're going to accuse me of vandalism, I need a lawyer."

"Then-."

"You better be careful, Dr. McCullers," he added suddenly, his voice suddenly calm as he got up and walked for the door. "You don't want to make the wrong person angry."

"Is that a threat?" she asked. He paused in the doorway.

"Maybe," he replied, and disappeared out of sight. She stared after him, her heart pounding. She couldn't decide if he had done it or not. His reaction had certainly been suspicious, and a little disturbing. He had basically threatened her, and while part of her couldn't blame him, the other part was afraid.

"Fuck me," she muttered, looking around the lab. She had loved teaching microbiology and working in her own research lab, until this year. This year everything had been shot to shit as far as her job was concerned, between one of her students being brutally murdered and half of her students turning on her. She didn't feel strong enough to handle this at all. The one thing keeping her sane was Emily, the only redeeming quality about this school year. She smiled at the mere thought of her, remembering her passionate night and early this morning with her. She wanted, no needed, to see her, even if it was just for a little while. The lab could wait and looking at it was just increasing her anxiety. So she closed and locked the door behind her, making her way to Rutherford Hall across from the science building. She knew Emily didn't have a class at the moment, so she would probably be in her office. Sure enough that was where she found her, knocking on the open door to get her attention.

"Paige! Hi," she greeted her, smiling when she saw her. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," she sighed, sitting down. "I just wanted to see you."

"Is everything okay, honey?" she asked, setting down the paper she had been grading. She could see the worried expression on Paige's face, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"Same shit," she replied. "I just want to go home."

"I know," she soothed, standing up and sitting down next to her. "Please tell me what happened."

"I just can't take this shit anymore, Emily. I feel like almost anyone could be behind this. Apparently all of my students hate me and they think I deserve what's happening."

"Who the hell said that?"

"One of the kids in my morning class. I questioned him about trashing my lab, and he got all defensive. He basically threatened me."

"Oh, Paige…. did you call Toby?"

"And tell him what? I have no evidence on anyone. Half my students seem like they have motives. The police are more concerned with finding out who killed Alison, not who's giving me a hard time at work."

"But this person is dangerous, Paige. Their first priority should be keeping you safe."

"I don't think the lab thing was connected. I think it's a student who was pissed at me."

"I would agree with that, but there's one thing that seems kind of out of place. Didn't you say the word 'whore' was on the whiteboard?"

"Yeah."

"That seems more…. personal than just an angry student."

Paige shrugged. Maybe she was right, but she didn't really feel like thinking about it.

"Is there anything I can do?" Emily asked, squeezing her hand.

"No. I just wanted to stop in and say hi."

Emily leaned forward and kissed her softly. Paige sighed, relaxing under her touch.

"I'll tell you what. Today after work we're going to start doing some serious snooping."

Paige chuckled.

"How are we going to do that?"

"I haven't thought that through yet. But we're going to get to the bottom of this because I hate seeing you suffer."

"That's sweet, Em, but this person is probably dangerous. I don't want to risk your life for me."

"Well, I'm willing to do anything to help you," Emily replied stubbornly. Paige sighed.

"I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm always here," Emily added.

"I know you are," Paige replied, kissing her softly. "I'll let you get back to work. I'm going to go see if Spencer is free."

She left Emily's office and made her way across campus to the health center. Spencer was standing in the lobby by the coffee maker, filling a mug Toby had gotten her for her birthday. Paige smirked; she hadn't seen her friend touch another one of her thirty coffee mugs since.

"Don't you ever work, Hastings?"

Spencer turned around, grinning when she saw Paige. She pointed to the stack of disposable coffee cups.

"Want some?"

"Why not?"

"What brings you here, McCullers?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you."

"As a friend or as a counselor?"

"Just talk," she replied. Spencer nodded and led the way to her office.

"Seriously, McCullers. What's up?"

"Did you hear my lab got trashed?"

"I did," she replied. "Toby told me. He heard about it at the station."

"Yeah. I don't know who did it, though. I have a couple ideas, and apparently half my students hate me, so it could be any of them."

"Whoa, back up. What do you mean they hate you?"

"I've been….. snappy, I guess, since Alison. I've been uptight and on edge and I guess the kids feel like I've been taking it out on them."

"I see."

"And I mean, I don't think I have. They've been acting weird, too. And one of them destroyed my lab and I want to find out who it is." Spencer was silent. Paige stared at her. "Has someone confessed to you?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Paige."

"Spencer! You have to-."

"No one has directly confessed, Paige," she told her. "Calm down."

"Spencer, if you know something, you have to tell me. Please."

"I told you, no one confessed."

"But someone said something to make you think they did it."

Spencer didn't answer. Paige clenched her fists, struggling to keep her anger in check.

"This could be the person stalking me, Spencer. My life could be in danger."

"I can't tell you," she started, and Paige groaned. "But you could 'accidentally' see my notes."

"Please."

Spencer pulled a file from the shelf and flipped it open, dropping it on the table. Paige peered at what she had written, frowning. Lucas had been to see her the day before, and he hadn't confessed, but he had said she had gotten what was coming to her.

"I think it was him," she replied as Spencer put the file back. "I had a confrontation with him before and he threatened me."

"Threatened you?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah. He told me I better be careful because someday I might mess with the wrong person."

"Oh," Spencer replied. She thought for a moment, looking at her friend. "Could I make a suggestion?"

"Sure," she replied with a sneer.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm being serious. Be sweet as can be, no matter what. I know that might be hard, but it's what safest for you. Don't give anyone a reason to mess with you."

She nodded. As much as she liked to argue, she had to admit it made sense. But it was difficult to keep her temper in check sometimes, especially when people screwed her over.

"Okay," she sighed. "Thanks, Spencer."

"Stay safe, Paige."

"Yeah," she replied, standing up. "I'm gonna head back to the lab. See you."

It was getting dark as she made her way back to the science building. She went up to her lab, determined to get some more work done before going home.

She wasn't there long before deciding she was too afraid to stay there alone at night. She quickly packed up her bag before heading outside and practically running to her car. But when she got there, something wasn't right. Once she got closer her stomach dropped, realizing exactly what the problem was. Someone had slashed her tires.

"Fuck!" she hissed, pulling out her phone. She didn't know who to call. Emily? A tow truck? "Please," she begged, her phone still refusing to connect. "Please, please, please!"

Finally, as if hearing her plea, it began to ring. She sighed in relief, anxiously looking around to see if anyone was sneaking up on her in the dark.

"Hello?"

"Em, it's me. Are you home yet?"

"No, I decided to stay late and get some work done. Why? Are you okay?"

"I'm in the parking lot. Someone slashed my tires."

"Holy shit. Get back inside!"

"Where?"

"Anywhere! Don't stand out there in the dark! Go back to your lab. I'll come get you."

"Emily-."

"I'm right across from you, Paige. Just please, get back inside."

"Okay, okay," she replied, jogging back the way she had come. She didn't need much convincing; she wasn't exactly eager about staying outside by herself. She got back to the lobby of Curie Hall and called a tow truck while she waited for Emily, anxious about her walking around this campus in the dark. While she loved Emily and meeting her was the best thing to happen to her in a long time, she hated that her first teaching experience had been so marred.

The door flew open and Emily came running towards her, throwing her arms around her. The entire lobby was empty except for them, and while Paige felt better with Emily there, she wasn't eager to stick around much longer.

"Em, it's okay," she soothed. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," she replied, smoothing her hair back. "What happened?"

"I went out to the parking lot, and my tires were slashed. I didn't see anyone. I just called for a tow truck."

"Once they get here we can leave," Emily told her, holding her close. "I want to get out of here."

"You and me both."

They waited for the tow truck to arrive before heading to Emily's car. She drove them both back to her apartment and let them in, immediately turning on every light in the living room.

"You should stay here tonight," she told Paige. "So I can drive you to work tomorrow."

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Of course I wouldn't," she replied, looking at her. "Paige, I'm really sorry. You've had a lot of tough breaks lately."

"Nothing I can't handle," she replied, trying to smile bravely. Emily walked over to her and kissed her softly.

"You're safe here, baby," she told her softly. Paige smiled.

"I know."

"Come on," Emily replied, leading her to her bedroom. "Let's get settled."

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Start from the beginning," Emily told her. She and Paige were cuddled together on Emily's bed, and she was starting to tell her about the hectic day she had had. She at least felt safer when she was with Emily, even if she knew it would have to end when they went their separate ways for work. Their time together was the one thing holding her together.

"Well….. I guess I was a little cranky in class today, and this kid Lucas told me I was a bitch and maybe someone destroyed my lab because they thought I deserved it."

"What?"

"Yeah. It really surprised me, too. He's such a quiet, seemingly nice kid. Under the radar."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't really say anything. Because he was kind of right."

"No, he wasn't," she replied, holding her tight. "You've been through a lot. They need to have patience with you."

"I shouldn't be taking things out on them."

"We all cope differently, Paige. They don't know what you're going through."

"I am so fucking lucky to have you," she murmured, burying her face in Emily's shoulder. Emily kissed the top of her head.

"It's okay to be upset, Paige. I want you to understand that."

"I do, I guess. Anyway, I was sitting there alone for a while after and Darren came to see me. He told me he saw Lucas by my lab Sunday night and he said I was going to get what I deserved for being such a bitch."

"What a fucking dick," Emily replied. Paige gaped at her, surprised by her language. Usually she was the one cursing while Emily was sweet and polite. "Sorry. Continue."

"I confronted him about it and he kinda flipped. He threatened me."

"What did he say?"

"Something about how one day I'm going to mess with the wrong person."

"Wow. Do you think he did it?"

"I don't know. I talked to Spencer and…. we both think maybe. But I don't have any evidence. Physically speaking, at least."

"What about your tires?"

"What about them?"

"Do you think he slashed them? It sounds like he was pretty pissed."

"Huh," Paige replied. She hadn't even thought of that. "I don't know. I don't know if he's the stalker, or if they're separate. I don't even know if the stalker is the person who killed Alison. There could be three psychos running around, for all we know."

"Honey, I doubt that. I'm sure this is all connected somehow."

"But no one knows how. The cops don't have the slightest idea who killed Alison. They don't even have a lead."

"Which is weird," Emily replied. "From the gossip I heard, she had a lot of enemies."

"Which is why it's so hard to come up with suspects. If everyone wanted her dead, it's hard to narrow it down."

They were silent for a moment. Paige sighed, resting her head on Emily's shoulder.

"Thanks for rescuing me, Em."

"Of course," she replied, giving her a kiss. "When Alison talked to you, did she mention being afraid of anyone other than Ian?"

"No. But we didn't talk very long. She just said she was afraid of him and I took her to Spencer. She may have told her more."

"Could you talk to her?"

Paige snorted at the thought. She had practically had to get on her knees and beg just for Spencer to show her who made a comment about her lab.

"I don't think she's going to be any help. She's very stubborn about her patient confidentiality."

"I thought that didn't count if there was a crime?"

"If the police ordered information from her, she'd have to give it. She's not going to give it to me."

"Well, Toby would have it. I think we cold coax anything helpful from him."

"Probably. But right now there isn't anything."

"I guess not," Emily agreed. Paige smiled at her, gently running her fingers down her arm.

"Don't worry," she replied. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"I hope so."

"I'm really sorry I dragged you into all of this."

"What? Paige, don't do that. None of this is your fault."

"I just hate that you have to be caught up in it."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Emily declared, pulling the blankets over them.

"I know," Paige replied as they cuddled together. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now let's try to get some sleep."

Neither one of them had been asleep long when a loud thud from the living room woke them both with a start. They stared at each other, wide eyed, as they tried to decide if they should investigate. The thump came again.

"What is that?" Paige asked.

"I don't know," Emily replied nervously. She slowly got up, listening carefully. "Should we go look?"

"Uh," Paige replied. That idea didn't sound at all appealing.

Suddenly, a loud giggle floated down the hallways. A female's giggle. Emily groaned, throwing the door open.

"Hanna!" she called, and Paige breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Hanna, not an axe murderer.

"Em!" the blond slurred, stumbling towards Emily. "What rr you doin' up?"

"You woke me," she replied impatiently.

"Paige!" she exclaimed, waving to Paige. "Hi!"

"Hey."

"How did you get home?"

"Caleb drove me. He's such a gentleman," she cooed, bumping into the wall. "Ouch!"

"Go to bed, Hanna."

"Which room's mine?" she asked, staring blankly at Emily.

"The same as always," she replied, pointing. Hanna grinned.

"Thanks! Nighty night!"

She slammed her bedroom door behind her. Emily closed her door and turned to Paige, who looked amused.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"No worries. I'm glad it was her."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," she agreed as she got back into bed. Paige pulled the covers over them and snuggled in close to her.

"I think I'm going to take Toby's advice and get a gun."

"Really?"

"Yeah. What if that hadn't been Hanna? We wouldn't have had any way to defend ourselves."

"Fair point," Emily agreed. She was silent moment. "Can I come with you?"

Paige nodded. Emily sighed in relief and closed her eyes, feeling Paige's fingers running through her hair.

"I love you, Em. Get some sleep."

"I love you, too."

And they drifted off once more in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>"This place looks sketchy," Emily complained as she and Paige got out of the car. She looked nervously at the dumpy building in front of them.<p>

"Toby told me to come here. I trust him," she replied, opening the door.

"I guess."

"Em, I get your reservations about this, but I'm really afraid. I need to have a gun."

"I know," she replied, giving Paige's arm a squeeze. "I support you."

By the time they were finished with the paper work it was getting dark. As they were heading to the car Paige caught sight of a black Honda parked across the street. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to see if anyone was inside.

"Paige?"

"That's the car. The black Honda."

"What should we do?" Emily asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "Wait and see if anyone gets in it?"

"No. I don't want a confrontation," Paige replied, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "Maybe we should just get the license plate number."

"That's genius!" Emily exclaimed. "We can give it to Toby and he can see who owns it!"

"I didn't think of it like that," Paige replied, pulling her cell phone out. "Stand watch."

She took a picture of the license plate and ran back to Emily like the devil himself was chasing her. They quickly got into the car and drove away, feeling for the first time like they had accomplished something.

"Finally," Paige remarked proudly. "We're one step ahead."

Emily nodded in agreement, but she couldn't shake the feeling they were wrong.

**A/N: Sorry the chapter's a little short, but it's back to school now! Hope you enjoy!**


	14. Chapter 14

All Emily could think about during her classes the next day was Paige. She worried if she was feeling okay emotionally. She wondered if she was safe physically. When they had first gotten together she never would have thought they would face so much hardship. But even though all of this was happening, she wouldn't trade Paige for anything. She was an amazing woman, who had incredible strength despite what she thought of herself. Emily had never known it was possible to love another human being as much as she loved Paige. And it was this overwhelming love that made it hurt so badly when she had to see her scared or upset.

She barely noticed Sydney's hand in the air. She quickly collected herself, clearing her throat.

"Yes, Sydney?"

"When did you say we had to finish chapter six?"

"Monday, please. And I'll collect your summaries, too." She looked at the clock. There were only twenty minutes left in class and she figured they probably weren't any more focused than she was. "How about we call it a day?"

The class eagerly agreed. They left one by one until only Sydney was there, standing awkwardly by her desk.

"Professor Fields?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind me asking if Dr. McCullers is okay? I understand if you don't want to answer, but a lot of us are worried about her. We don't agree with what Lucas said the other day."

"Thank you," Emily replied, truly touched that Sydney cared so much. "I really appreciate your concern. She's okay."

"Good. Can you tell her that? That we understand she's going through a lot?"

"I will," Emily told her, smiling. "Thank you. Really."

"Of course. See you, Professor."

She left, leaving Emily alone in the classroom. She smiled, glad that she would finally have something good to tell Paige later. She pulled out her phone to text her, frowning when she saw a text message from a restricted number. She nervously opened it, her blood running cold when she read what it said.

_I can see you._

It was sent five minutes ago. She gulped, looking around the classroom. This had to be someone playing a joke. There wasn't anyone in sight. But she found herself growing anxious, and she decided that the papers she had planned on going over could wait until she was home. She stood up to start packing up, when suddenly her door open. She nearly screamed, almost falling backwards over her chair, as Ezra walked in.

"Ezra! What the hell?"

"Sorry," he told her, looking surprised. "Are you okay?"

"I was until you nearly scared the shit out of me!"

"Whoa, sorry. Calm down," he replied. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just came to talk to you."

"What about?" she asked, her heart still pounding in her chest.

He paused a moment, looking away. She looked at him curiously.

"Just…. just tell Paige I'd like to talk to her."

"Why don't you do it?" she asked, confused. He was acting weirder and weirder by the minute.

"It's complicated."

"Uh… okay. Sure."

"Cool. Sorry again for scaring you," he replied. Emily watched as he left, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She couldn't place what had made her feel so uneasy about that encounter. Maybe just because she was suspicious of everyone.

She locked the classroom and made her way up to her office, glancing around the eerily quiet hallway before closing the door behind her. She sat down at her desk, taking a deep breath, as she wondered why she felt so jumpy today. She had managed to keep fairly calm throughout this whole ordeal, always being the voice of reason when Paige needed her. But she was afraid it was all starting to catch up to her, and now she was jumping at every creak her chair made.

"Get it together," she murmured to herself, peering out the window. It was later in the day and the campus was fairly empty. She looked around to see if it seemed anyone was watching her, thinking back to the text she had gotten. She didn't know what to make of it.

"Emily!"

She turned as her office door flew open, Paige bursting inside panting. Emily looked at her in alarm, quickly getting up.

"Paige? What is it?"

"It's gone!"

"What's gone? Paige, what-?"

"The picture of the license plate!" she exclaimed. "It's gone. Someone deleted it off my phone!"

"What?"

"I don't know when it could have happened. It's not like I left it in the office. It had to have been in lab when I stepped out for a couple minutes."

"Wouldn't the other kids have seen it?"

"I guess not. But it narrows it down. Whoever has been following us around has to be in that lab class. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Is there anyone there you think might be behind all of this?"

"Lucas," she replied immediately. "I know it's him. He trashed my lab, too."

"I don't understand," Emily replied, frowning. "Let's say he did trash your lab. That was after he was angry about the way you were acting after Alison. This person started following you before Alison was killed. Why would he do that?"

"Oh," Paige replied, making a face. "Shit."

"The lab thing makes sense. But I don't think he's behind everything else."

"Who, then?"

"I don't know," Emily replied, exasperated.

"I know. I'll tell them next class I know one of them got into my phone. And-."

"Paige, sweetie, that's a really bad idea."

"Why?"

"Let's say you're right, and the killer is in your lab. You don't want them to know you know. That's how this stuff works. They fuck with you for a while, show you they have power over you. Then once you get close to figuring out who they are, the game's up."

Paige was silent for a moment. Emily wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in close.

"We'll call Toby. Tell him about it."

"What can he do?"

"I don't know. But it's not our job, Paige. Promise me you won't do anything dangerous."

"Okay," she sighed. "I promise."

"Good. Now, how does a double date with Hanna and Caleb tonight sound?"

Paige chuckled. Emily smiled, relieved to see her calming down.

"I guess I can't say no to that."

* * *

><p>"We should have done this sooner," Hanna declared, gulping down half of her wine. Emily hid a laugh behind her own glass.<p>

"I never thought Paige and I would be out on a date," Caleb replied, and Paige pinched his arm. "Ouch!"

"This was a good idea, if I may pat myself on the back," Emily added.

"So. Caleb and I take my apartment and you and Paige go back to hers?" Hanna asked. Caleb stared at her.

"Hanna!"

"What? Don't pretend you weren't thinking the same thing."

"Fine with me," Paige agreed, winking at Emily. She blushed.

"Well, I'm not going to argue," Caleb replied, reaching for his wallet.

They went their separate ways as agreed after dinner, Paige leading Emily into her apartment and closing and locking the door behind them. She pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

"I had fun. That was a good idea."

"Thank you," she replied, looking up at her girlfriend. "Paige?"

"Mm hmm?"

"Make love to me?" she asked, pressing her lips to Paige's neck. Paige gulped.

"Gladly."

She insisted on carrying Emily back to the bedroom where she laid her on the bed, climbing over her as she kissed her lips and neck. Emily sighed softly under her, closing her eyes as Paige paid attention to every inch of her body. She pushed her dress up and yanked her underwear down, wasting no time in burying herself between her legs. Emily cried out in approval, threading her fingers through Paige's hair.

"Oh, Paige….. fuck."

Paige hummed in reply, sucking Emily's clit steadily. Tonight wasn't going to be a night of slow teasing, it was going to be a night of fiery passion.

Multiple orgasms later she finally kissed her way up Emily's stomach and to her lips, grinning at the exhausted look on her face. Emily looked at her, her eyes glazed over as she smiled slightly.

"Holy shit," she whispered, and Paige grinned smugly.

"Yeah."

"I love you," she added, pulling her in for another kiss.

"I love you, too."

"Give me…. give me a couple minutes," Emily told her, already looking like she was half asleep. Paige laughed, lying down next to her.

"No way. Go to sleep. You can pay me back another time."

"But-."

"No buts," she interrupted, stroking her cheek. "This was my thank you for how amazing you've been through all of this. You've never judged, never left. You've always been there for me and I can't thank you enough. I love you more than words can say."

"Oh, Paige… you don't need to thank me," she replied, hugging her. "I'm here because I love you and I want to keep you safe."

"Well, I'm thanking you anyway," she replied, kissing her. "Please, get some sleep."

"If you insist," she sighed, snuggling into Paige's side. Paige held her close, and soon she drifted off with her.

* * *

><p>"I know it's one of them," Paige told Toby excitedly. "It had to be. No one else would have had the opportunity-."<p>

"Slow down," Toby interrupted. "You took a picture of the license plate with your phone."

"Yes."

"And then yesterday it was deleted?"

"Yes."

"And you're sure you didn't do it by accident?"

"I'm sure," she snapped, annoyed that he wasn't taking her seriously. She had skipped lunch to come talk to him, and he was not making it worth her while. "I wouldn't have deleted it. I was going to show it to you so you could run the license plate."

"Hmm." He was silent for a moment as Paige sat seething in the chair across from him. He shrugged. "I can't really help you, Paige. Unless you can tell m if any of your students had a motive for killing Alison."

"Not that I know of. But I don't know much about their personal lives. All I know is that yesterday in that class was the only time I was without my phone. No one other than the stalker would have known about the picture or wanted it deleted. You have to admit it makes sense."

"Of course it makes sense. But we're at a dead end, Paige. We don't know who killed Alison and we can't arrest every single one of your students. And if you confront them saying you know one of them was in your phone, the culprit will feel threatened. The last thing you want is to make a murderer feel threatened."

Paige sighed, getting up. This had been a waste of her time.

"Thanks for your help."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"Whatever. I have to go."

She left his office, shivering as she stepped into the chilly October air. She looked around for any sign of the black Honda before jogging to her own car, looking inside before getting in. Being overly cautious was just a normal part of her routine now.

She didn't care if Toby warned her against handling things on her own. She wanted this to be over, no matter how she had to make it happen. Both for her sake and for Emily.

**A/N: So, I think this story is about ready to come to a close. Let me know if you would be interested in a sequel, because I do have something in mind. Thanks for the reviews!**


	15. Chapter 15

The next day was Halloween. Paige had always hated the holiday for reasons she couldn't really explain, but this year she really had an excuse. There was no way of knowing if Alison's killer had anything planned for tonight or not. She would be spending this Halloween locked in her apartment with Emily, not opening the door for anyone. She was tired of living this way.

She had been unusually sweet to her students during lab, careful not to even speak in a sarcastic tone at any point. She could tell some of them were confused, but she didn't care. She was busy keeping an eye on Lucas, who didn't look in her direction all class. She would be willing to bet money that he was hiding something. But she didn't know how to prove it.

"No homework today," she told them cheerfully at the end of lab. "Be safe and have fun tonight. I'll see you all Friday."

She watched as they all left the room, sighing with relief when she was alone. The thought that her stalker and Alison's killer was in this class was almost too much for her to handle.

She locked up the lab and headed to her own, looking around the dimly lit hallway. It was unusually quiet for a Wednesday evening, although she figured most of the students had parties to go to. She went into her lab and closed the door behind her, locking the door.

The quiet atmosphere gave her the opportunity to catch up on some work. She was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she didn't hear the sound of a key slipping into the lock on the other side of the door. It wasn't until she turned around that she saw the door swinging open, creaking noisily as it did. She could only stare in horror, not sure what to think as it opened slowly. But as it opened further she didn't see anyone standing there. At first she stood puzzled, staring at the open door, until she heard footsteps running down the hallway. She ran to the doorway and looked out, just in time to see someone dressed all in black turning the corner. For a split second she thought about chasing them before thinking better of it. Instead she grabbed the key from the lock and shut the door again, her heart pounding. It was the spare key from the biology department lounge, in case she lost hers or something else happened to it. She didn't know how a student had managed to get it out without anyone noticing.

She kicked one of the stools over in frustration, cringing at the loud sound it made as it toppled over. She buried her face in her hands, the calmness she had felt just a few short minutes earlier fading. Half of her was angry at the fact that she hadn't felt safe in over a month, but mostly she was just afraid. Helpless, too. Try as she might, she couldn't come up with someone who would want Alison dead and want to follow her around. It just didn't make sense. Lucas was her top suspect for the lab, but he didn't fit into either of the other crimes. No one did.

She quickly packed up to go home. It was windy and overcast as she walked outside, and she actually felt like she was in a horror movie as she walked to her car. She couldn't decide if she was really being watched or if she was just being paranoid, but she was sure she could feel eyes on her. She glanced around, but she didn't see anyone who looked like they were paying attention to her.

"I'm losing it," she muttered as she got into her car. "Absolutely losing it."

Caleb wasn't there when she got to the apartment, and Emily wasn't due for another hour. She got a beer from the refrigerator and settled on the couch, trying to calm her nerves as she stared at the ticking clock, each tick increasing her anxiety. She didn't feel safe being alone, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it. She wasn't going to call Emily and whine that she needed her to come over early. She did have some pride left, somehow.

The phone rang. She quickly leaned over and answered it, hoping it was Emily saying she was leaving work.

"Hello?"

There was no answer. Paige took a deep breath, her heart immediately starting to race.

"Who is this?"

Still no answer. She slammed the phone down, curling into a ball as she closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths. This was nothing to panic over. Emily would be here soon and everything would be okay.

She got up and went to the kitchen, deciding to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She wasn't hungry, but her mother always made them for her as a kid, and she considered it comfort food. It wouldn't hurt to try.

She brought her sandwich back to the living room and sat back on the couch, her ears open for any noises coming from anywhere inside. He had broken in before and he could easily do it again, and she was too afraid to go search to see if anyone was there. So she sat cowering on the couch, eyes darting around and ears open for the slightest noise.

It was cold in the living room, no matter how much she curled up. She reluctantly got up to check the thermostat, but as she went down the hallway it only got colder. She peeked into Caleb's room and was disturbed to see that the window was wide open, the cool fall breeze blowing inside. She quickly went into his room and closed it, looking down at the fire escape to see if anyone was there. She told herself that Caleb had probably left it open, but at the same time she wasn't sure she believed it.

As she went back into the living room there was a loud knock on the door. She jumped and immediately went to it, relieved to see Emily standing there.

"Em," she sighed, hugging her tight. "You're early."

"Is that bad?"

"Not at all. You just scared me a little."

"Honey, I'm sorry."

"No worries," Paige replied, closing and locking the door behind her. "I was just getting a little anxious being here by myself."

"Poor baby," Emily replied sympathetically. "Halloween's getting to you?"

Paige shrugged, sitting back down. Emily sat next to her, gently kissing the side of her face.

"Maybe that scary movie marathon isn't such a good idea."

"I'm not going to argue with that."

"I'm sure there are plenty of ways we can pass the time," Emily added, grinning. She was relieved to see Paige smile, too.

"I like the way you think."

"I was thinking we could start with a nice, warm bath," she continued, leading Paige down the hall. "With that new pumpkin spice bubble bath I bought you."

"You spoil me, Em," she replied. Emily chuckled.

"You were put on this earth for me to spoil," she replied, kissing her softly. Paige grinned.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she cooed as she slid Paige's blouse off. She undid her bra, licking her lips at the sight of her bare breasts. She loved Paige's creamy skin in contrast to her darker tone, and Paige had come to discover that Emily definitely had a thing for breasts. She moaned softly as Emily took a nipple into her mouth, licking it gently. "Em? Weren't we going to take a bath?" she asked, and Emily chuckled, straightening up.

"True. You distract me too easily."

"Me?" Paige asked, her brown eyes wide with innocence. "Never."

Emily ran their bath and filled it with the pumpkin spice bubble bath. She and Paige got inside and huddled together in the warm water, sharing kisses and gentle caresses. Emily was right; this had been a much better idea than watching scary movies.

"Have I ever told you how much better I feel with you?" Paige asked. Emily smiled.

"Oh?" she replied, kissing her softly. She ran a hand over one of her breasts, watching as her eyes closed. "I'm happy to be of service. And, if I recall, we left off somewhere about here…."

Paige groaned as Emily slipped two fingers inside of her. She clenched down around her hard, just realizing how desperate with need she was. Then again, she was always like that with Emily. And as Emily's fingers expertly caressed her walls, she was already forgetting about every care she had in the world and just focused on the pleasure Emily was bringing her.

"Holy shit," she gasped as Emily's thumb rubbed against her clit. "That feels so fucking good."

"I can tell," Emily replied, beginning to pump faster. Paige gasped loudly, clutching onto Emily's arm.

"Faster!" she exclaimed, throwing her head back. "Fuck!"

She did exactly as she was told, thrusting faster and faster until she came, crying out in pleasure as Emily worked to bring her down gently. She slumped against her as she regained her breath, panting.

"My God, Emily," she stammered, and Emily laughed.

"Yeah. I'm pretty good."

"Understatement," she replied, looking at her through hazy eyes. "Has anyone ever told you how good you are with your hands?"

"You. Many times."

"Well, let me tell you again," she replied, cupping Emily's center. Emily's breath hitched as Paige's finger circled her clit.

"Paige," she whispered. Paige kissed her softly as she continued to rub her clit, holding her close.

"You mean so much to me, Em," she whispered. "I don't know how I would get through all this without you."

Emily whimpered in response. Paige pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, rubbing faster and faster until Emily came, holding Paige's hand as she came down from her high. Paige took her in her arms, holding her close as they sat together in the tub, the warm water rippling around them.

"Yeah. This is the best Halloween I've ever had," Emily remarked. Paige grinned.

"Same."

"We didn't even need scary movies."

"It's going to be a long time before I want to watch anything that isn't a comedy," Paige agreed. Emily kissed her, a look of sympathy on her face.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"Don't be. You're the last person who needs to apologize."

"I know. I just hate seeing you so afraid."

Paige sighed, leaning against Emily. She felt fingers gently rubbing her back.

"Just relax, Paige."

She sighed, Emily's fingers running through her hair. When she was with Emily, she did in fact believe that there was nothing to worry about.

**A/N: Thanks for all the feedback!**


	16. Chapter 16

Monday it was back to work, although there was a difference about it now that it was November. The Halloween decorations had already been taken down in the science building, replaced by pumpkins and cornucopias all around. Paige smiled to herself as she walked to her lab, feeling strangely calm. She loved this time of year, especially the two months leading to Christmas. Even more so this year since she would get to spend the holidays with Emily.

Aria was waiting for her by her lab. She gave the girl a friendly smile, noticing the look of fear on her face.

"Good morning, Aria. Is everything okay?"

"I want to talk to you," she started. "I tried a couple weeks ago but I… I kind of lost my courage."

"Okay," Paige replied, raising her eyebrow. "Come on."

Aria followed her inside, wringing her hands. Paige looked at her expectantly, not really sure what the girl was about to say.

"I think Ezra killed Alison," she blurted. Paige gaped at her, unable to find words to respond. Maybe, in the back of her mind, she had had the same thought. But it was shocking to hear out loud.

"What… why do you say that?"

"He's been acting really weird since she died. And…. he….. I know what everyone thinks about our relationship. But he confessed that he was a substitute teacher at Alison's high school and they….." She paused, her eyes brimming with tears. "They had a thing."

"Oh," Paige replied. She wasn't sure if she was surprised or not. But, as inappropriate as his relationship with Aria was, at least she was an adult. Which couldn't be said for Alison in high school. "Oh, Aria…"

"I'm scared, Dr. McCullers. She always threatened to go to the police and say that he raped her. I saw them fighting once, and it was scary."

Paige took a deep breath. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Aria was feeling; wanting to stand by the person she loved but afraid that person may not be who she thought.

"I don't know what to do. I feel like I should tell the police, but I can't betray him," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Please, help me."

The words stung, reminding her of what Alison had said to her days before she was murdered. Maybe Aria was headed for the same fate, if she was right and Ezra was involved.

"Aria," she started gently. "I understand you hesitation, but if you really think he had something to do with this, you need to tell the police."

Aria nodded, sniffling. Paige offered her a sympathetic smile, unsure of what else to do. It sounded like Ezra had a reason to want Alison dead. But if the killer and the stalker were the same person, it didn't make sense.

"I'll even go with you if you want. But you need to do what you feel is right."

"Would you?" she asked, her face so heartbreakingly sad it actually hurt Paige to look at.

"Of course I will. Don't worry, Aria. It's going to be okay."

She went with Aria down to the station, where she waited out in the lobby while Toby talked to her privately. When they came out Toby looked excited and Aria incredibly distraught, sniffling into a tissue.

"That's good stuff," he told her, and Paige scowled at him.

"Could you at least try to be sensitive?" she snapped, hugging Aria. He blushed.

"Sorry. I mean, we're definitely going to be looking into it. Thank you, Miss Montgomery."

Paige led Aria outside. She offered her another tissue and Aria took it gratefully, loudly blowing her nose.

"You did the right thing," she told her. She smiled sadly.

"I think we're probably over now, whether he did it or not," she replied. "But I didn't know what else to do."

"You were very brave. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

She went back to teach her classes, wondering if maybe this could all be over. But deep down she knew it couldn't be this simple.

During the lab class she sat quietly in the back, grading papers while the students did everything they were supposed to. They had been unusually well behaved, and there was barely even a murmur. Which made it easy for her to overhear the conversation Darren and Lucas were having.

"… that bitch who teaches European literature. The one that looks like a hooker."

Lucas laughed as Paige's mouth dropped open. They couldn't be talking about Emily.

"I didn't know she was… gay. I never would have guessed."

"Yeah, well, of course she snaps Dr. McCullers up. Everyone knows she's a homo. She certainly flaunts it," Darren added bitterly. Paige cleared her throat loudly, watching in satisfaction as they jumped when they realized she was behind them.

"Is there a problem?" she asked sweetly. They just stared at her. "Good. You only have twenty minutes."

She returned to her seat, angry at what they had been saying. Not about her, but about Emily. She knew Darren had a thing for her and was jealous that she was with Emily, but that didn't give him the excuse to talk about her like that.

That was when it hit her. Her blood ran cold as she stared at the back of his head, her mind whirling as everything clicked into place. Darren was obsessed with her. He had made that clear on multiple occasions. He was always ridiculing Alison for mouthing off to her in class. He hated Alison.

He had killed her because she was so cruel to the woman he desperately wanted to be with. And he was stalking Paige because he was obsessive, infatuated, and determined to have her if it was the last thing he did.

She sat frozen, unsure if she should call someone. Emily, Toby, anybody. But she couldn't move as she kept staring, fear overtaking her. She didn't have much time to get to someone before he found out that she knew.

"Have a nice afternoon," she told her class as they left, hoping she didn't sound as panicked as she felt. Darren grinned at her as he left and her stomach flipped, but she forced herself to remain calm. She hurried to the door and closed it, locking it for good measure before running back to get her cell phone. She dialed Emily's number, her heart pounding as she waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Emily!" she hissed, looking around. "I know who killed Alison."

"What? Who?"

"Darren. He's obsessed with me and he hated her for insulting me all the time. He did it. I know it. He's my stalker."

"Holy shit… do you have any proof of this?"

"I don't need proof. I just know."

"Call Toby. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Okay."

She hung up, her fingers shaking as she tried to dial Toby's number. But as she was trying to dial the door creaked open, slowly, as it had the last time she had been in a lab by herself. She froze, not wanting to turn around, knowing exactly who was going to be standing behind her.

"Hi, Paige," Darren greeted softly, his voice calm and eerie. She slowly turned around, her face paling when she saw him. He closed the door over and locked it, sliding the key into his pocket. "So, you know."

"Know what?" she squeaked, figuring it was worth a shot to play dumb. He sneered.

"That I killed Alison. That I've been following you. But I have to make you understand," he continued, stepping closer to her. She looked around wildly for anything she could use as a weapon.

"Darren, please-."

"I did it for you!" he exclaimed. She hoped maybe someone would hear the commotion and come to help her. "Don't you understand? I did it because I love you!"

"You scared the shit out of me because you love me? I don't think so," she replied, realizing right away what a stupid thing it was to say. He knocked a stack of Petri dishes to the floor.

"You bitch!" he shouted. "You could at least be grateful for everything I did. Alison was so mean to you. So, so mean."

She watched him, filled with fear, as he rambled. Crazy. He was crazy.

"She got what she deserved," he replied, his calmness returning. "I only followed you because I wanted you to love me."

He was right in front of her. She closed her eyes as he stroked his fingers down her wrist.

"You still have a chance, Paige," he cooed, his lips brushing against her ear. She felt like she was going to throw up as his hands slid to her hips. She didn't know what he was going to do. "You can choose me."

"No," she whispered. He looked at her in surprise and she took the opportunity to push him backwards, sending him crashing into a row of lab benches. "Get away from me!"

She took off running to the door, but he grabbed her before she could reach it, throwing her to the floor. She fought him hard, kicking and scratching when she could, screaming in the hopes that someone would hear her. He covered her mouth, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Shut up!" he snarled. "I have to do this, Paige. If you won't let me have you, no one can."

**A/N: Just a couple chapter left! Enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Here's the next chapter to make up for not posting one yesterday. Enjoy!**

Emily yawned, glancing at her watch. It was after five, and she had promised herself she would finish grading her last class's essays. But she was tired and hungry, and all she would think about was going to see Paige and eating some much deserved dinner. She capped her pen and dumped the essays into a drawer, vowing to go back to them in the morning.

She checked her phone to see if Paige had texted her about Toby coming to talk to her about Darren. She hadn't, so she figured she was talking to Toby now. It was strangely exciting to think that they may have figured out who the killer was. Really, what Paige had said made sense. He had a motive for both crimes. And as far as she knew, he didn't knew that Paige knew.

A shiver went down her spine. What if he did? What if he had somehow overheard her conversation before? She suddenly had a very bad feeling and pulled out her cell phone to call her, pulling her coat on as she hurried out of her office. She didn't pick up.

"Fuck," she muttered, dialing Toby's number as she ran down the stairs.

"Officer Cavanaugh, how can I help you?"

"Toby, it's Emily. Have you talked to Paige yet?"

"What? No."

"Damn it," she muttered, starting to panic. Something was wrong. "Come to the university. I think Paige is in trouble."

"What? What's happening?"

"Darren killed Alison. Paige told me and I think he may know that she knows."

"Hold up. Do you know this for sure?"

"God damn it, Toby, just get here!" she snapped, and hung up before he could protest.

It was late enough that the campus was mostly empty. She hoped she was panicking over nothing, but she just couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. If Darren was already with her, she didn't have much time.

"Please, Paige," she whispered as she opened the door to Curie Hall. "Hang on."

* * *

><p>"Darren, please," Paige whispered, sitting curled up on the floor. He stood over her, knife glinting in the setting sun flowing through the window. She wanted to scream, but she didn't know if anyone would hear her. She was afraid to make a run for it since he was so close to her, and after seeing what Alison had looked like she wasn't doubting he would use the knife. "I thought you loved me."<p>

"I do," he replied, his eyes flashing with anger. "And I gave you the choice to choose me. But you didn't, and you have to be punished."

"Darren….. you don't have to do this."

"I do. You don't understand."

"There is nothing to understand! I haven't done anything to you!"

"Is that what you think? What do you call rejecting me? After all I've done for you, all you can do is stare at me! Like I'm a freak!"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not really sure why she was apologizing. Maybe she thought it would appease him. At this point he seemed to be beyond reason. He had snapped the day he had killed Alison, and he had snapped again now. No amount of stalling would calm him.

"Are you?" he snarled. She gulped. "Why? Why did you have to break my heart?"

"I love Emily," she replied, and that was obviously the wrong thing to say. He roared in anger, pushing her violently backwards. She cried out in pain as she slammed her head on the wall, her vision momentarily blurring as she tried to focus on Darren. His face was twisted with anger, his chest heaving. "I'm sorry. I can't make myself love you." There was no point in trying to sugar coat it now. He already had in his mind that he was going to kill her.

"You should have tried!" he shouted. "You should have tried to love me instead of that…. that _dyke_."

"Fuck you!" she snarled, and he kicked her hard in the stomach.

"You ungrateful bitch. I'm going to do to you what I did to Alison," he told her, sinking down in front of her. "Do you know what I did to Alison?" Paige didn't answer. She just stared at him, her arm around her stomach as her head pounded furiously. She was pretty sure she was seeing stars. "I cut her slowly. Watched her bleed and beg. It hurt, too. And you know why I thought she deserved it? Because she hurt you." He laughed cruelly. "Turns out you don't deserve protecting. You're a horrible, cruel woman, just like her. Just like everyone. No girl has ever loved me the way I love. And I was a fool to think you would be any different." Paige closed her eyes, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She was going to die, just like Alison. And all she could think about was Emily. Her sweet, devoted girlfriend whose life was going to be shattered. She couldn't let anything happen to Emily. She had promised to protect her, no matter what. Which was why she had to fight.

She kicked him, crying out in pain as a burn ripped through her stomach. It didn't do much to him, but he stumbled a little, a look of surprise on his face.

"Get away from me!" she shouted, stumbling to her feet. Her head spun and she clutched her stomach, gritting her teeth in pain as she tried to get to the door. Everything seemed to be moving around her, her head pounding with the movement. He grabbed her, trying to throw her to the ground as she finally decided to scream for help. Maybe, just maybe someone was here late and would come help her.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she screamed, trying desperately to stay on her feet. "HELP ME!"

Darren slammed her into the wall, his hands around her throat. She kicked him, this time hard, sending him flying backwards as he grunted in pain. She unlocked the door with shaky hands and threw it open, starting down the hallway as fast as she could. It was empty, and her head swam when she saw how far away the stairs were. She would never make it.

"Please, help!" she shouted to no one as she started down the hallway, stumbling as a wave of dizziness washed over her. The pain was too much for her to keep moving. Darren was going to catch her and there was nothing she could do about it. She was so dazed she even thought she heard someone running up the stairs towards her.

"Paige!"

Emily. Emily was here. She watched, dazed, as Emily and Mona came running towards her. Her knees gave out as she sank to the ground, feeling Emily wrap her arms around her. Mona screamed as Darren came charging out of the lab, knife held out in front of him. He stopped short when he saw them, frozen on the spot.

"Get him!" a male voice shouted, and Paige had never been more relieved to see Toby as she was now as he came charging up the stairs with at least four backups, their guns drawn and pointing at Darren. He dropped the knife, his hands up, his eyes flashing with anger as he looked at Paige huddled in Emily's arms.

"It's okay, baby," Emily whispered, holding her close. "It's okay. It's all over."

Paige could only let out a sob as she held onto Emily. Everything hurt and she just wanted to stay there in Emily's arms forever, weak with pain and relief. Emily was here and she was going to make sure she was okay.

"Em," she whispered. Emily cradled her in her arms, her own face streaked with tears.

"Don't cry," she soothed. "It's okay."

"I called an ambulance," Toby reported when he came over to them. "They'll be here any minute. Emily saved your life, Paige."

"I love you," Paige whispered to her, cringing as a pain shot through her head. But that didn't even matter. It was all over. Darren was going to jail, and she could finally feel safe again. She and Emily could have a life together. A real life.

"Oh, Paige, I love you, too," Emily replied, kissing her. "I was so scared. I'm sorry I didn't get here faster."

"Emily, don't. You got here just in time," she replied, burying her face in Emily's jacket.

"I can't believe we didn't see this. That he was the one."

"I should have," Paige replied, watching in relief as two paramedics came up the stairs with a stretcher. "God, my head hurts."

"I know," Emily soothed, holding her close. "I won't leave your side, Paige. I promise."

Paige tried to nod, wincing at the movement as strong arms lifted her onto the gurney. Emily's hand didn't leave hers, and she could see her beautiful face following along as they rolled her out to the ambulance. And that was when she realized, that everything was going to be okay.

**A/N 2: One more after this. But don't worry, I definitely plan to have a sequel. Thanks for everyone who read/reviewed! **


	18. Chapter 18

"Paige, honey, stop sitting up," Emily sighed as Paige struggled to reach for her cell phone on the small rollaway table. "Just ask, and I'll get it for you."

"Fine," Paige sighed, already impatient. She had been in the hospital for just a day, after being diagnosed with a concussion and a fractured rib. The doctor had told her she was extremely lucky, considering what could have happened. She fully agreed with him, especially seeing what Alison had looked like. She could handle a concussion and a cracked rib. But it did mean a lot of staying still, something she wasn't very good at. The doctor wanted to keep her a couple days, and she was already restless to go outside.

Emily had been with her the whole time, of course. She had slept curled up in the hard plastic chair next to her bed, and she hadn't left her side the whole time. Her parents had come earlier that morning, her mother bursting into tears as soon as she had seen her. Her father didn't cry but had choked up when he told her he was glad she was okay. Hanna and Caleb had come by as well, and Mona had called to say she was stopping by later. Spencer and Toby had come as well, Toby lecturing her on trying to play cop even though she insisted she hadn't (which she really didn't feel like she did). She was glad to have the visitors, but without them to distract her she was back to pouting that she couldn't move.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she told her sympathetically. "I know you don't like this. But it's for your own good."

"Hmph."

"Hey," she started gently, stroking her cheek. "I am so grateful, Paige. I was so terrified when I was going to see if you were okay. I know you hate feeling helpless, but things could have been so much worse."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," Emily replied, kissing her forehead. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you, too," Paige replied, a small smile crossing her face. Emily could make anything bearable.

"This will go faster than you think."

"I hope so." She was silent for a moment, reflecting on everything that had happened over the past day. It still felt a little like a dream. A nightmare. "I can't believe we didn't know it was Darren. All those times he came onto me, when he yelled at Alison in class….. I should have seen it."

"None of that matters now," Emily soothed, stroking her hair. "Try to rest, love. Please."

"Okay," she agreed, and she had to admit she was tired. "Em?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you for staying."

"Anything for you," Emily replied, leaning down to kiss her. "Close your eyes. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>She was allowed to go home a week later. Emily fussed over her as if she had broken every bone in her body, and she strangely found it endearing. Although she liked to be independent and didn't necessarily enjoy needing help every time she wanted to do something simple like use the bathroom, she liked to see how much Emily loved her. It made her feel safe.<p>

"Do you need anything? More juice? Another pillow? Do you have to go to the bathroom? I can put a movie on for you."

"Em, babe, slow down," Paige laughed, wincing as a pain shot through her ribs. Emily was on it in a second.

"Do you need more ice? Another pain killer?"

"Emily," she soothed, pulling her down beside her. "All I need is you. Please, just sit with me."

Emily did as she was told, climbing onto the bed and snuggling next to her. Paige sighed, closing her eyes as she felt Emily's fingers running through her hair.

"That feels good."

"Let me know if you need anything."

"I will, I promise. But for now let's just relax," she replied, squeezing Emily's hand.

"I can't relax."

"You're taking very good care of me, Em. You deserve some down time."

"Okay, okay."

"Maybe now we'll have some time to be a normal couple," Paige continued. Emily smiled.

"I know we've had a lot of weird things to deal with. But I wouldn't trade any of it."

"Yeah," Paige agreed, smiling. She had to agree. As horrible as some of the past few weeks had been, she had met this incredible woman and she wouldn't do it any differently. "Em?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I couldn't have helped Alison, right? There was nothing I could have done?"

"No," Emily replied, trying to assure her yet again that she couldn't have prevented what had happened to Alison. "You helped her the best you could with Ian. But you had no way of knowing what was going to happen. You need to tell yourself it's okay."

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding. Emily was right. No amount of self loathing was going to bring Alison back, either. She had to let it go. "Thank you."

"Of course. You are an amazing woman Paige, and you care about others more than anyone I have ever known. But you can't save everyone. And you can't be angry with yourself."

"I know," Paige agreed. "And as long as I have you, I can get through anything."

Emily smiled, looking at the woman in front of her. She couldn't describe in words how she felt about her. And now their future was unlimited, full of possibilities now that they could be carefree. They would enjoy every moment of it.

"You're sure you don't need anything?" Emily asked again. Paige laughed, kissing her softly.

"I'm sure, baby. All I need is you."

**A/N: So this is the short, fluffy chapter to end this part of the story. Stay tuned for the second part, which should be coming along soon. There's a blizzard on its way that's going to close school for a couple days, (any fellow East Coasters?) so I'll have plenty of time to write. So, get ready for part two!**


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